The Brotherhood
by MajorBookworm94
Summary: Sirius Black and Harry Potter meet inside Azkaban. They are both innocent and escape together. Meanwhile, all their former friends fear for their lives. Some father/son bonding. Not Slash. AU obviously. COMPLETE but BEING EDITED at the moment.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or anything to do with the books. I am only borrowing the characters, places, spells, and some plot devices for my own entertainment purposes. They will be returned, cleaned and polished, to their original owner, JK Rowling, as soon as I am finished with them.

**The Brotherhood**

* * *

**A/N – As of 25 July, 2011, I am editing this fanfic for the second time. I will replace the chapters as they come along, and each will have a note, saying it has been edited. Keep an eye out.**

* * *

**Prologue**

The halls of Azkaban were unusually silent the day that the Minister of Magic visited them for his annual inspection. The Dementors were, of course, locked away. Cornelius Fudge wanted no chance that he would run into them. Instead, Aurors patrolled the hallways, keeping the prisoners silent, so they wouldn't disturb Fudge's peace.

The Minister walked along; his hands tucked into his cloak pockets as he peered into cell after cell filled with prisoners. Most sat in their cells, heads bowed and blank expressions on their faces. Others, the more insane prisoners, cried out or taunted the Minister as he passed their cells.

Fudge deftly ignored Bellatrix Lestrange and her deranged cackling as he came to a cell only a few places down from the insane witch's. Inside this cell was one Sirius Black. He sat on his bunk, watching Fudge with a polite curiosity. Not even a hint of insanity showed on his pale face.

"Good day, Minister," Sirius greeted pleasantly, inclining his head with only a small measure of respect.

"Black," Fudge replied in way of an answer. Every year it was the same thing. Black seemed unreasonably sane, despite his seniority in the prison.

"Having a good day, then?" Sirius asked, tilting his head in an almost canine manner.

Fudge shifted the Daily Prophet that he held under his arm a little as he answered. "As good as is expected, visiting a prison."

Sirius nodded, but his eyes were on the newspaper that Fudge carried. "Are you finished with that?" he questioned.

"With what?" Fudge asked, glancing behind him.

"The newspaper, of course," Sirius replied casually.

"I..." The minister had only brought the newspaper to read during the trip to and from the island on which Azkaban was situated. He normally would have flooed to the island, but as the island's fireplace and security office were undergoing some renovations, that wasn't possible. He had been forced to take the boat, in which the prisoners were taken to the island. It was a fifteen-minute trip through the raging ocean, on a good day.

"Yes, I suppose I am," Fudge finally answered.

"Can I have it, then? I truly miss completing the daily crossword puzzle. It was one of my favourite hobbies before coming to Azkaban," Sirius stated.

Fudge hesitated before answering, "No, I don't think so."

"Pity, that," Sirius replied, then leaned back against the damp wall, clearly dismissing the Minister.

A little miffed, Fudge left, taking the Daily Prophet with him.

As he left, he caused a dimensional rift. In this new dimension, Sirius would never see Wormtail perched on the shoulder of a certain redheaded boy and would not be inspired to break out of prison in his godson's third year of Hogwarts.

In this new dimension, Harry would never find out about his imprisoned godfather or the truth about that fateful Halloween night many years before.

In this new dimension, Scabbers would never be revealed as a traitor and so would never be forced out of his peaceful existence of being a pet rat to the Weasley children.

In this new dimension, Bartimus Crouch JR would find Voldemort's soul instead of Wormtail, after having escaped from his father's imperious curse. In this new dimension, he would be able to resurrect Voldemort without having to use Harry Potter's blood.

In this new dimension, Harry would enjoy his peaceful third and fourth years of Hogwarts, never suspecting that it was not the way things were supposed to go.

In this new dimension, in Harry's fifth year, destiny would catch up with the boy-who-lived as he would be wrongfully accused of a crime and arrested. He would be sent to Azkaban, without a trial, and his friends would be given evidence that he was, in fact, guilty. Not all of them, however, would believe it.

* * *

**A/N - Catch something wrong with this fanfic, including typos, misspelled words, or a plot line that just doesn't make sense? Let me know, please.**

**I write fanfictions to better myself in my original story/novel writing. I strive for the best, but I admit to occasionally missing things. If you see anything that needs to be fixed, or you just have any advice or comments, let me know, in a review or PM. Also, I won't respond to every review, though I'll try with PMs. I just don't have the time. However, if you ask a question, I will try to respond with an answer. Thanks.**


	2. Meeting

**Disclaimer : **I do not own Harry Potter or anything to do with the books. I am only borrowing the characters, places, spells, and some plot devices for my own entertainment purposes. They will be returned, cleaned and polished, to their original owner, JK Rowling, as soon as I am finished with them.

**The Brotherhood**

* * *

**A/N - This chapter was last modified on 27 September, 2011.**

* * *

**Chapter One - Meeting**

Deep in Azkaban, a large black dog, otherwise known as Padfoot, sat sunning himself in the small amount of sunlight that was coming through his window. He was quite enjoying himself. Up until last year, he had not had a window in his cell, but he had been moved and now he did. This was the first day with the window, however, that the sun was actually out, and Padfoot was determined to take in every ray of it he could reach.

He would have rather sat in the sun in his human form, though he knew he would burn easily, but with Dementors around, he avoided his human form. The occasional roaming Aurors, however, expected to see a man in his cell, not a dog, when they passed, so he had to keep a strict vigil.

Listening intently, he could easily hear the screams of the other prisoners, as the Dementors roamed the prison. There were none, thankfully, around him. That wouldn't last long, however. Among the screams, Padfoot could hear the sound of waves crashing up against the rocks of Azkaban Island.

He had once loved the sound of waves on a beach. Now, they tormented him. They were his freedom that he couldn't have.

Shaking away the slight distraction, Padfoot focused on the other sounds of the prison. Rats could be heard, scurrying around in the walls. Then, Padfoot's ears perked up. Yes, there was the noise of an Auror patrolling. Whoever it was, they were roaming the floor below. Still listening, Padfoot realised that the footsteps he heard belonged to more than one person. In fact, it sounded more like three people. Even worse, they were coming in his direction.

Cursing his bad luck, Padfoot drew upon the little magic that hadn't been drained from his exhausted soul and concentrated on his human form. It only took a second, and then there was a ragged human sitting exactly where Padfoot had been.

Sirius lifted his face to the sun and felt the warmth on it for the few minutes he had. As soon as he could hear the Aurors' footsteps with his human ears, he climbed to his feet and peered out of the bars of his cell. Around him, the other prisoners did the same. This was not just another Auror patrol, that much he could tell.

After a few moments of waiting, the trio came into sight. Between two Aurors, a boy, clearly a new prisoner, was being led along. The boy's head was bowed and Sirius could not clearly see his face, though he could tell that he was young.

Sirius moved backwards as they came level to his cell and stopped. He watched silently as the Aurors opened the cell across from his and thrust the boy in.

Scowling, Sirius settled back down in his patch of sunlight. He had quite liked having an empty cell across from his own. It made keeping his secret much easier. Not to mention there wasn't someone constantly watching his every movement. He would miss the privacy.

The Aurors left, locking the cell behind them, and strode down the aisle, leering unpleasantly at the prisoners who were now gawking at the previously empty cell, trying to get a glimpse of their newest inmate.

The boy turned around and rubbed at his wrists, which had been handcuffed. He settled back on his bunk with a glum look and Sirius took the time to study him. Raven coloured hair framed his face, which was already pale. His face also revealed that he was indeed young, probably not even out of school yet, though it didn't matter for him any more. He had a slight build and was very underweight.

Frowning as he felt a pull on his faded memories, Sirius thought he recognised the boy, though he knew it was impossible. In all likelihood, the boy had been just an infant when he had been thrown unceremoniously into prison. Perhaps he knew a parent?

Digging into his memories, Sirius searched his mind for who the boy resembled. All at once, it came to him, and Sirius gasped at the revelation.

"James!"

The boy glanced up, looking wary as he did so.

"That must mean you're..." Sirius trailed off as their eyes met and his suspicions were confirmed. The boy had Lily's emerald green eyes.

"Harry?

Harry Potter, a boy he had never expected to see again, stared at him in bewilderment, but then nodded.

"Harry! It is you," Sirius breathed, moving forward so he could get a better look at his godson. Harry shrank back, wary.

"I'm Sirius, your godfather," Sirius introduced.

"My what?" Harry asked, confusion coming over his face.

"Your godfather, of course," Sirius repeated, then frowned. "You haven't heard of me, then?"

Harry shook his head.

"I was your father's best friend. Well, along with Moony," Sirius explained.

Harry stared at him. "I don't..." he started, but then shook his head, looking as if he were mentally rebuking himself. He backed up further into his cell, and shadows covered him, hiding his face from Sirius.

Sirius sighed, then realised just who he was talking to. "Wait a minute. What are you doing in here?" he demanded.

There was a moment of silence, and Sirius thought that Harry wouldn't reply, but then, "What right do you have to ask me when you're here yourself?"

Sirius fell silent, not knowing how to reply to that. It was the truth. He had no right, really. Not to mention that he didn't really want to inform Harry of his supposed crimes just yet. "_Oh yes, Harry, I was accused of betraying your parents and killing a dozen or so people,"_ That would go over well.

Still immensely curious, but able to control his impatience due to years of being forced to do nothing but wait, Sirius didn't reply. Instead, he moved back into his now almost completely faded patch of sun to wait. Harry would open up to him eventually. He was sure of it. And when he did, Sirius would tell his godson about his own story. With any luck, Harry would believe him, when that time came.

Harry settled back onto his bunk now, probably guessing that he wasn't going to get an answer, and Sirius closed his eyes. He felt a Dementor drawing close, but he didn't yet want to reveal his secret to Harry. Padfoot would have to stay hidden within him for now. He had dealt with Dementors in his human form before. He could do it now.

As the last of the sunlight left his cell, and the cell became very dark, the Dementor appeared on the other side of the bars and coldness swept over Sirius. He shrank back, though he knew it wouldn't help.

Opening his eyes, Sirius watched silently. The Dementor was focused more on Harry. Fresher memories meant a better meal for the Dementor. If Sirius thought he could stop the Dementor feeding off of Harry's memories, he might have felt guilt, but as it was, he couldn't, so he didn't bother with allowing that emotion to come to the surface. Pushing back several of his worst memories that were always drawn to the forefront of his mind when a Dementor was around, Sirius was just relieved that the Dementor was not focused entirely on him.

However, as he watched, these thoughts changed. Harry had a very strong reaction to Dementors, Sirius noted. The boy seized up and cried out in anguish. His eyes were shut tight as he relived his worst memories. Then, all at once, Harry fainted, falling onto the floor. His glasses fell off and cracked as they hit the stone floor.

The Dementor, having finished its meal, moved on, leaving Sirius to hurry to the front of his cell. He stared helplessly at his godson, whose face was coated in a light sheen of sweat, despite the chill that the Dementor had left behind. Despite being unconscious, Harry's face was screwed up in a pained expression, and his breathing came out in gasps.

Sirius moodily moved back to his bunk and sat on it, still watching Harry intently. He wondered what Harry's life had been like, without Lily and James raising him, to produce that sort of reaction to Dementors. He also wondered what Harry had done to land himself a cell in Azkaban. Most of all, however, he wondered how he was going to get Harry out of there. Azkaban was no place for a kid.

* * *

It had been three days. Three days of torture whenever a Dementor glided by. Three days of being cold all the time. Three days of endlessly reliving the worst memories of his life. Three days since he had seen the light of day. Yet, Harry was rejoicing. For the first time, Harry had managed to stay conscious in the presence of a Dementor. He knew he had to celebrate the little things, or he wouldn't survive Azkaban. Thus, he allowed a small smile to come across his face.

Feeling better than he had since he had first entered Azkaban, Harry glanced across the aisle at the adjacent cell. Settled underneath the bunk, a large black dog was sleeping. Or at least, Harry thought it was sleeping.

Harry had been quite confused when he first woke up from his unconscious state and discovered that the man in the cell across from him was gone and a dog was there instead. However, it didn't take him long before he realised that they were one and the same. The man had explained briefly, as he saw Harry staring at him after changing back into his human form, that it made things simpler. The Dementors' effects were lessened, the food didn't taste as gross, and he was able to get comfortable on the hard stone floor.

That was the only thing the man had said to him since that first day. After that, he had kept silent, and stayed in his dog form, unless an Aurors happened to be roaming around their cells. Harry hadn't yet attempted to bring up the topic that he had been pondering the entire time.

This man had claimed to be his godfather. He had claimed to be Harry's father's best friend. He had even known his name and his father's name.

Staring at the dog, Harry considered bringing up the topic now, but thought better of it almost immediately. What if it was all just an act? Enough people surely knew his name just by seeing his face. He was, or had been, famous, after all. But why would the man say he was his godfather, unless it was true?

The dog suddenly got up and stretched, yawning widely. Their eyes met for a short moment before Harry turned away, blushing lightly at being caught staring.

The sound of the dog lapping up some water made Harry glance over at him again. Harry moved down off of his bunk to sit next to the bars. The dog looked over at him, tilting his head in obvious curiosity.

"How do I know you're really my godfather?" Harry asked softly, knowing the dog would be able to hear him clearly.

The dog paused and in a matter of moments, he had shifted to his human form. Sirius settled in a sitting position next to the bars of his own cell. "I could tell you something about James and Lily," Sirius suggested.

Harry nodded once and Sirius frowned, looking thoughtful. "James pined after Lily for a very long time before she ever started dating him. In fact, they only started dating in seventh year, when they were head boy and head girl," Sirius stated.

Harry looked at Sirius through his fringe. "I didn't know that,"

"Nobody ever told you?" Sirius asked.

"You're the first person I've met that actually knew them, besides some of the professors at Hogwarts, but they seem to think it's unprofessional to talk to me about them," Harry informed him.

Sirius fell silent, brooding.

Harry considered him for a long moment before saying, "You wanted to know why I was imprisoned?"

Sirius looked up, but didn't reply.

"It probably sounds stupid, but I'm actually innocent. I was framed. They killed my best friend. I didn't even get a trial," Harry murmured.

There was silence for a long time and Harry instantly regretted revealing this. The man probably thought he was mental.

Then, finally, Sirius replied, "That's quite the coincidence. Or maybe it's not. I never committed the crime I'm in here for either. He was my best friend too. Like you, I was sentenced without a trial," Sirius' tone was sombre.

Harry met Sirius' eyes squarely and knew that the man was not lying. He could see the same desperate emotion in Sirius' eyes as he felt himself. He just wanted someone to believe his story.

"Quite a pair we make," Sirius commented idly, picking at his fingernails.

Harry nodded silently. He studied the man before him, then decided something. "Why did my mum not date my dad until their last year?" he whispered, lowering his eyes shyly.

Sirius glanced up at him and smiled lightly.

"She hated him. I believe her favourite term for him was 'arrogant toe rag'. Her wording exactly, of course," Sirius told him candidly.

Harry looked up, disbelief coursing through him. Sirius simply winked at him, then started in on another story about his parents.

Harry leaned forward, against the bars, and just listened, enjoying being able to finally get to know his parents.

* * *

**A/N - Catch something wrong with this fanfic, including typos, misspelled words, or a plot line that just doesn't make sense? Let me know, please.**

**I write fanfictions to better myself in my original story/novel writing. I strive for the best, but I admit to occasionally missing things. If you see anything that needs to be fixed, or you just have any advice or comments, let me know, in a review or PM. Also, I won't respond to every review, though I'll try with PMs. I just don't have the time. However, if you ask a question, I will try to respond with an answer. Thanks.**


	3. Ritual

**Disclaimer : **I do not own Harry Potter or anything to do with the books. I am only borrowing the characters, places, spells, and some plot devices for my own entertainment purposes. They will be returned, cleaned and polished, to their original owner, JK Rowling, as soon as I am finished with them.

**The Brotherhood**

* * *

**A/N - This chapter was last modified on 30 September, 2011.**

* * *

**Chapter Two - Ritual**

It was the daily ritual of the two inmates to sit at the edge of their cells, as close as they could come to each other, and to tell the stories of their past. In the two months that had passed, Harry had told Sirius most of his life story, even confiding his deepest secrets that he hadn't even told Hermione and Ron. Sirius, likewise, had told Harry everything he could about his own past, plus many things about James and Lily Potter. He had been shocked, at first, to realise that Harry knew practically nothing about his parents, but he took it all in stride. He had the freedom to paint a picture of Harry's parents however he wanted, without any preconceptions holding Harry's opinions already.

This ritual kept both of them sane; Harry especially, as he didn't have an animagus form to escape to when times got bad. As it was, Sirius used Padfoot less and less as time went by. Before Harry had come, Sirius had been ready to give up and let himself go. With Harry there, he had something to live for.

Today, both men were especially cheerful. The sun was shining through Sirius' window, lighting the area up bright sunlight and casting away the chill of the Dementors.

"Why did you become animagi?" Harry asked.

Sirius looked up. "I haven't told you about Remus yet?"

"You have. He was a werewolf. I know that. But why did you become animagi? What difference would that make to anything?"

Sirius looked pensive. "We were the Marauders. We weren't going to let a little thing as Remus being a werewolf stand in the way of our friendship. We stuck together, no matter what. James, Peter, and I were determined to spend the full moon with Remus. We discovered that animagi aren't affected by werewolf bites and decided to try it. It took us three years,"

Harry sighed. "I had a friendship like that once. I would've done anything for Ron and Hermione,"

Sirius tilted his head, "When we break out of this place, will you seek out Hermione?" he asked.

"Will you seek out Remus?" Harry returned.

Sirius shook his head. "He's too analytical. He wouldn't believe I was innocent, especially with all the evidence against me,"

"Hermione's the same way," Harry said softly.

There was a companionable silence between the pair of them as they both thought about their past friends.

"If there were anyone I would seek out, it would be Ginny Weasley," Harry added pensively.

"Isn't that Ron's sister?"

Harry nodded. "She was there, when he died. She knows it wasn't me that did it. Unfortunately, about the time I was arrested, she was in St. Mungo's, in a coma. They attacked her as well,"

Sirius looked thoughtful at that. "What does the rest of her family think?"

Harry looked pained. "They think I am guilty, same as anyone else,"

Sirius nodded sympathetically, but then he turned mischievous. "This Ginny girl, she has red hair, yes?"

"She's a Weasley, isn't she?" Harry replied, looking over at Sirius.

"What were you doing in Hogsmeade with her?" Sirius asked.

"I was with Hermione and Ron too,"

"But she's your friend's little sister. Typically, you don't spend time with them," Sirius pointed out.

Harry shrugged. "She spent a lot of time with Hermione,"

"Is she pretty?"

"Yes," Harry admitted, "But that doesn't mean anything."

Sirius grinned broadly. "Lily was a red head, as was James' mother, and grandmother. I think this is destined to be,"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Just because they all happen to be red heads doesn't mean anything,"

Sirius looked thoughtful. "You know, I'm pretty sure James told me that there was actually some legend that there was some curse on the Potter men so they always have to marry girls with red hair,"

"Really?" Harry asked dubiously.

Sirius nodded. "I don't remember how it goes though. Pity," he murmured.

"I don't believe a word of it," Harry said, leaning back.

Sirius studied Harry's face. "I do. It would take a curse to make Lily love James after so long. We were all startled when she finally agreed to date him. In fact, James took it as a rejection, until he finally realised what she had actually said. He got detention for making too much noise, after that,"

Harry smiled as Sirius dove into another story, even though it was one that he had heard before.

* * *

Padfoot looked up from his place under his bunk as he heard a scream. It wasn't an unusual noise in Azkaban. The prisoners screamed all the time. This time, it was close, and loud enough to startle Padfoot out of his dreams.

In the short time it took him to get to the edge of his cell, he realized that the scream had, in fact, come from Harry. He was writhing on his bunk, crying out as he clutched both hands to his forehead.

Padfoot barked a couple times before transforming back to his human form so he could actually cry out. "Harry!"

Several of the nearby prisoners yelled too, protesting being woken up.

Harry's screams suddenly cut off as he jerked awake and fell off of his bunk, landing hard on the ground. He lay there for a moment, regaining his breath.

"Harry? Are you okay?" Sirius asked, clutching the bars of his cell and staring over at his godson. He couldn't see him well, as the night sky outside provided no light, and the torches were not lit.

Harry looked up and Sirius drew in a sharp breath at the sight of Harry's face. He scar was inflamed and stood out vividly on his pale face. Even in the darkness, Sirius could see it clearly.

"I'm okay," Harry replied, breathless.

Slowly, the protesting shouts from the other prisoners died down.

Sirius took a seat at the edge of his cell. "What was that?" he asked.

Harry crawled over and found a seat as close to Sirius as he could get. He idly rubbed at his scar. "I don't know. It was a dream, I think. Or a vision. It's happened before, once or twice. Dumbledore says that I've got a connection to Voldemort. I've seen into his mind before,"

"You've seen into Voldemort's mind?" Sirius asked, paling.

Harry nodded. "Every time my scar has burned, just like now,"

There was silence between them and Sirius hoped that those prisoners around them weren't listening in too intently. They were almost all followers of Voldemort, after all.

"What did you see?" Sirius whispered.

Harry frowned, looking thoughtful. "Voldemort was torturing one of his followers. A plan that he had set up isn't working. He's angry,"

Sirius watched Harry, eyes wide. "What's the plan?"

Harry shrugged. "No idea,"

Sirius studied Harry's face, which was half hidden in shadow. "It sounded painful,"

Harry shuddered slightly. "It's like I was the one being tortured," he said softly.

Sirius didn't know how to reply to that.

"How come you never mentioned these visions before?" Sirius asked.

"I didn't think they were that important. I thought they had gone away. Evidently not," Harry replied, looking sullen.

Sirius thought about this, then asked, "And can Voldemort get into your head?"

"I don't see why he would need to. He's already got me locked out of the way," Harry said bitterly.

"Not for long," Sirius replied, reminding Harry of their plan they were almost ready to put in to motion to escape from Azkaban.

Harry nodded agreeably, a small smile crossing his face at the thought of escape.

* * *

"Hey, Potter!"

Harry glanced up from his conversation with his godfather as the other voice interrupted it.

Sirius looked annoyed.

"Have any visions lately?" one of the other prisoners asked.

"Is our Master coming for us?" asked another.

"Seen someone get tortured?" a third asked excitedly.

Harry rolled his eyes at them and generally ignored it. As was typical, Harry's vision the week before had prompted a lot of taunting from those prisoners around their pair of cells. As they were surrounded by Death Eaters, any news of their Master was good news for them. They had been ecstatic on the day Harry had told Sirius about Voldemort being reborn, though most of them knew it already from their dark marks.

"Just you wait, Harry. Soon we'll be out of here, and they'll still be stuck," Sirius promised, glaring bitterly at his cousin, who was cackling again.

"I know, Sirius. Sometimes, I think you're more uptight about their taunting than I am. Maybe I'm just used to it,"

"Or maybe I'm just a dog in nature and I'm protective of you," Sirius suggested, still glaring at Bellatrix.

"Relax, Sirius. It's not like they can do anything to actually harm us," Harry said, then seeing Sirius' look, revised it, "For now, anyway."

"You're right," Sirius said, sighing. He ran a hand through his tangled hair, but only made it halfway before he gave up so his hand wouldn't get stuck.

Harry leaned back against his bunk and asked, "What do you think Hermione is doing right now?" he asked.

It was a game they played often. Sirius kept track of the time with marks on his cell wall, and they knew approximately what time it was from the amount of daylight coming in through Sirius' window.

"Seeing as it's late June, she's probably with her family for the summer," Sirius replied.

"Probably still going over the end of year exams with her parents,"

"It'd be her OWL year," Sirius reminded.

"Oh, right. She'll be anxiously awaiting those results," Harry murmured, frowning. He wondered now what his OWL results would've been like if he hadn't been arrested.

"I wonder if she'll go back next year," Harry said.

"Why wouldn't she?" Sirius asked.

Harry looked over at Sirius. "She once told me, in third year, that her parents thought the wizarding world was too dangerous and that if Ron and I weren't around, she wouldn't bother continuing to go to Hogwarts. She had no other friends, besides maybe Ginny,"

Sirius sighed, "She would get along well with Remus. Both of them lost all of their friends in one swell swoop,"

Harry nodded slightly. Yes, he was sure Hermione and Remus would get along just fine. It was a pity they probably wouldn't ever meet.

The entire cell block went quiet then, as a Dementor entered the hallway.

Shrinking back in his cell, Harry tensed up. Across from him, Sirius morphed into Padfoot and hid under his bunk again.

Neither could wait until they were able to escape from this prison.

* * *

**A/N - Catch something wrong with this fanfic, including typos, misspelled words, or a plot line that just doesn't make sense? Let me know, please.**

**I write fanfictions to better myself in my original story/novel writing. I strive for the best, but I admit to occasionally missing things. If you see anything that needs to be fixed, or you just have any advice or comments, let me know, in a review or PM. Also, I won't respond to every review, though I'll try with PMs. I just don't have the time. However, if you ask a question, I will try to respond with an answer. Thanks.**


	4. Escape

**Disclaimer : **I do not own Harry Potter or anything to do with the books. I am only borrowing the characters, places, spells, and some plot devices for my own entertainment purposes. They will be returned, cleaned and polished, to their original owner, JK Rowling, as soon as I am finished with them.

**The Brotherhood**

* * *

**A/N - This chapter was last modified on 5 October, 2011.**

* * *

**Chapter Three ****–**** Escape**

They had been planning it for a long time and they were sure it would work. All they needed was the perfect timing.

That perfect timing came one evening as the Dementors came through to set out the dinner. Sirius, in dog form, waited at the entrance of his cell, watching the Dementor loom closer and closer to his cell. Eventually, it reached his cell and the cell door was opened to permit the Dementor to place the bowl of dinner mash on the ground. Once it was opened to what Sirius knew to be the maximum the Dementor would open it; Padfoot squeezed through, dodging the Dementor's cloak. Crouching in the shadow's outside Harry's cell, Padfoot watched warily as the Dementor glided further on down the cell block, delivering dinner to the other prisoners.

Padfoot jumped as he felt something touch his fur, and he looked around frantically before realising that it was just Harry.

"Good luck," Harry whispered, his eyes wide with anxiousness.

Padfoot licked Harry's outstretched hand before giving Harry a nod and hurrying down the hall, in the opposite direction from which the Dementor had come from.

Harry watched him go, feeling more nervous than he had in a long while. He could hear the cries of their fellow prisoners as they spotted the black dog, and he hoped that none of them would do something that could get Sirius caught.

Sirius had explained, briefly, that if he was caught escaping, he would, at best, be moved to an animagus proof cell, further up in the prison. At worst, Harry knew, he would be given the Dementor's Kiss. Either would prove to destroy any semblance of peace that Harry might have from having his godfather in the cell across from him.

Feeling too anxious to eat the meal that barely passed as food, Harry slipped back into the dark shadows at the back of his cell. The sun had already set and the prison was dark, which would help in their escape. They just had to beware of Aurors now.

In their planning, they had paid close attention to the schedules of the Aurors, and Sirius thought that they would be able to avoid them, and any Dementors, in order to escape. It would just take a little strategy, and a lot of luck. This was the part Harry was nervous about. His level of luck was on the low side.

Hoping that Sirius knew what he was doing, Harry began to pace his cell anxiously. How long should it take to get to the bottom of the prison anyway? Would Sirius even be able to find the keys?

Harry felt a stab of panic in his gut. Had the whole thing just been an act and Sirius had left him here?

Harry was just mentally yelling at himself for thinking such a thing when a shadow appeared outside of his cell, causing Harry to jump. After a moment, he realised it was just Padfoot, a ring of keys and, surprisingly, a wand, in his mouth.

Putting them down on the ground, Sirius looked around for guards, then transformed.

"Whose wand is that?" Harry asked, moving to the front of the cell and eyeing the wand cautiously.

Sirius picked up the keys and wand and straightened up. He glanced over at the next prisoner over, who was watching them intently.

的t belongs to the head Auror. Luckily I caught him napping and it was only a matter of snatching his wand and stunning him. I'll obliviate him before we go," Sirius explained.

It took a few moments, but Sirius managed to get the cell open.

Feeling increasingly giddy at the thought of escape, Harry slipped through the opening and stood beside Sirius.

"Ready for this?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded immediately and the pair of them started down the hall. Sirius held the wand out, ready to use it if they happened upon a guard, whether Auror or otherwise.

"Cousin! What about me?" a lilted voice called out from a cell they passed.

Sirius hissed at the sight of Bellatrix, but otherwise ignored her. Harry noted that a glimmer of excitement and perhaps insanity filled her eyes. "Never mind, my Master will come for me. I'll be out soon," she announced.

Harry, too busy staring at Bellatrix, bumped into Sirius, who had stopped suddenly.

"Careful, Harry," Sirius muttered, lifting his wand.

Harry looked up at Sirius, wondering why he had paused and found out a moment later. Footsteps could be heard echoing down the hallway.

"They're coming from the opposite end. We can still make it," Sirius said, starting again at a fast pace. Harry hurried to follow.

They made it halfway down the stairs before they heard a shout of alarm as the owner of the footsteps noticed that there was two empty cells on the block that shouldn't have been empty. Cheers from the fellow prisoners followed and Harry was relieved. It seemed that the prisoners liked tormenting the guards more than they didn't want Sirius and Harry to escape.

"Now it gets dangerous," Sirius said, looking down the hallway to see a Dementor coming their way.

Having to choose between the Auror and a Dementor, Harry personally would've taken the Auror, but Sirius had other ideas. He shoved the wand into Harry's hand and pushed him toward the lower floor. "Go! I'll distract it! Wait for me in the office," he ordered.

Harry hesitated for only a moment before following the directions. He trusted his godfather, after all. He just hoped that Sirius would survive, especially without a wand.

Hurrying down the stairs, Harry made it to the bottom floor without any problems. He took the hallway at a run, ignoring the prisoners who called out or cheered as he passed. They evidently liked the rare excitement that Harry was bringing to them.

"He went left, Auror," Harry heard one of the prisoners call out to a passing Auror who had seemingly already been alerted.

Harry half laughed at the prisoner's misleading direction.

Reaching the door to the Auror's section of the prison, Harry pulled it open, very aware that he was going into enemy territory. If he were to get caught, it would be here.

Creeping down the carpeted hall, Harry found the door marked, "Head Auror" and entered the room. The Auror was, true to Sirius' word, on the floor, unconscious. Closing the door behind him, Harry stepped over the Auror and waited on the far side of the room, near another door. If Aurors burst in, he would be able to make a fast escape.

Minutes past and there was no sign of Sirius at all. Harry began to pace. What would happen if Sirius didn't show up? Surely he had been caught.

Harry started to pace, silently making plans for his own escape if Sirius didn't show up. Sirius had made him promise that if Sirius was caught, Harry would go on without him. As much as it pained him, Harry knew he would do it. He had given his promise after all.

Sending glances at the door every few seconds, expecting either Sirius or Aurors to enter, Harry mentally ran through his options.

He had just decided on his plan of action when the door burst open. Harry swung around, lifting the wand, the stunning spell on his lips. He stopped immediately when he saw it was just Sirius, looking paler than normal. Sirius shut the door hurriedly behind him and locked it.

"We have to get out of here," Sirius stated.

Someone pounded on the door from the other side and Harry could hear muffled voices.

"Before they remember they have wands," Sirius added darkly.

Sirius reached down and grabbed something from the Head Auror's robes before hurrying over to the fireplace and motioning for Harry to do the same.

As Harry moved closer, he could see that Sirius had grabbed the man's Auror badge.

"To get us through," Sirius explained swiftly. He grabbed some floo powder and tossed it into the flames.

The door to the office burst open and Harry ducked as a spell came flying his way. Sirius shoved Harry into the flames before squeezing in himself. It was a tight fit. The fireplace was obviously only meant for one person at a time.

"Halt!" one of the Aurors cried, though Harry didn't know why he bothered. Nobody ever obeyed that command.

"Moony's Den!" Sirius called out, and the floo swept them away from the mass of Aurors.

* * *

**A/N - Catch something wrong with this fanfic, including typos, misspelled words, or a plot line that just doesn't make sense? Let me know, please.**

**I write fanfictions to better myself in my original story/novel writing. I strive for the best, but I admit to occasionally missing things. If you see anything that needs to be fixed, or you just have any advice or comments, let me know, in a review or PM. Also, I won't respond to every review, though I'll try with PMs. I just don't have the time. However, if you ask a question, I will try to respond with an answer. Thanks.**


	5. Trespassing

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Harry Potter or anything to do with the books. I am only borrowing the characters, places, spells, and some plot devices for my own entertainment purposes. They will be returned, cleaned and polished, to their original owner, JK Rowling, as soon as I am finished with them.

**The Brotherhood**

* * *

******A/N - This chapter was last modified on 20 December, 2011.**

* * *

******Chapter Four - Trespassing**

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace and nearly landed on his face, but Sirius reached out and caught him just in time. Grumbling under his breath about how Sirius was more graceful at exiting the floo than him, despite how many years he had just spent in Azkaban, Harry looked around. It was then that he realized just where Sirius had sent them.

"Wait, did you say 'Moony's Den'? As in, the house house of Remus Lupin?" Harry asked as he turned to gape at Sirius. He kept his voice low, well aware that there could be someone else in the house that didn't yet know they were there.

"Unless he moved, yes, this is Remus' house. However, since the floo address worked, he probably still lives here," Sirius answered cheerfully, glancing around at the house himself.

Harry stared at Sirius. "Remus thinks we're both murderers," he stated.

Sirius paused, his expression turning from cheerful to gloomy in a matter of a few moments. "I know that," he insisted.

"Then why did we floo to his house? He'll just report us and we'll be right back where we started," Harry hissed at him.

"It was the first place I could think of. Besides, he isn't even here," Sirius replied.

Harry looked around. Indeed, the house looked vacant, as though it hadn't been lived in for quite a while. There was a layer of dust on everything and there was the silence that only seemed to loom around abandoned houses and very deep in caves.

"How did you know he wasn't here?" Harry asked, feeling comfortable raising his voice above a whisper now that he knew nobody was around.

Sirius shrugged, "Well, I didn't know that the house would be completely abandoned like this. However, I knew Moony would be absent,"

Harry raised an eyebrow, silently reminding Sirius of his question. Sirius, in reply, nodded to the window.

Turning, Harry looked at what Sirius had nodded at. The sky was bright. Stars littered it and a bright full moon bathed the backyard in white light.

Harry turned back to Sirius, confusion on his face.

"He's a werewolf, Harry. He's not going to be here on the full moon," Sirius reminded.

"Oh," Harry muttered, flushing in embarrassment at having forgotten that.

Sirius didn't seem to notice, though, as he was too busy snooping through the cupboards. They were mostly bare and the only thing he found was a pack of old crackers and a some packets of tea.

"Better than nothing," Sirius murmured, opening the crackers. Harry and Sirius shared them, both devouring them down despite their staleness. It was better than their so called food that they received in Azkaban.

"You should get some sleep," Sirius said, as he crumpled up the empty cracker pack and tossed it in the waste basket.

"We're spending the night here?" Harry asked.

Sirius shrugged. "Remus won't mind, I'm sure. For the looks of this place, he hasn't been here in a while, and I think we can assume he won't be back any time soon. We might as well spend a few days here, figuring things out,"

Harry nodded and the pair left the kitchen. The rest of the house was in a similar condition to the kitchen, though they did see some personal belongings scattered about the house. Books lined the shelves of a bookshelf, a photo or two of people that Harry didn't know sat on the mantle.

Sirius found Harry a blanket and watched as the boy fell asleep on the couch, before getting up and exploring the house a bit more. He found nothing out of the ordinary, nor anything that actually linked this house to the Remus he knew, besides it's extreme neatness.

Finally, in the attic, Sirius found what he was looking for. There were at least five boxes labelled School Stuff and Sirius knew that this is where he would find the remnants of the Remus he had once known. Opening the first box, Sirius wrinkled his nose. It was full of old textbooks and homework assignments. The second box interested Sirius more. In it, Sirius found a book that the he recognized well. The Marauders had created it in their last year of Hogwarts. The title, written in Remus' handwriting, proclaimed the book as _The Marauder's Guide to Mischief Making_.

Sirius had no idea that Remus had kept this book, as the last he had known, James had been keeping it. Flipping through it, Sirius smiled as he remembered just what it was filled with. The four boys had written their favourite pranks they had performed, amusing jokes they had heard, tips on sneaking through the castle of Hogwarts, and other stuff that could help with mischief. The book was not printed and Sirius could easily make out the difference between the four boys' handwritings. Though they only called themselves by their nicknames, not wanting to reveal their true selves lest the book fall into a professor's possession, Sirius could now see that anyone who had known the four boys would clearly know who the four writers of the book were.

Wanting to keep this book, Sirius dug through another box until he found an old pack that Remus had carried his books in at Hogwarts. It was still in good condition and Sirius packed the book into it. His only regret was that he didn't have the book's companion piece, The Marauder's Map. Knowing that Harry had been the owner of the map last, and that his possessions were likely under lock and key somewhere, Sirius didn't have much hope of retrieving the map. He discovered he was wrong when he opened the next box. Right on top of the contents of the box was a cloak that Sirius would recognize anywhere. He ran his fingers through the watery fabric and smiled as he pulled it out of the box. It was James' Invisibility Cloak. Tucking the cloak into the pack, knowing that it would be useful later on, Sirius dug through the box further. The schoolbooks were much newer than the ones in the other boxes and they were clearly Harry's. At the very bottom of the box, Sirius grinned as he pulled out what he had been searching for. The Marauder's Map was still in good condition, and Sirius tucked it away in his pack as well.

Beside the map, Sirius discovered a book that wasn't a textbook. It was lined in blue leather and looked to be well used but fondly cared for. Opening it to the front page, Sirius gasped lightly. He flipped through a few more pages, just to make sure. The book was a photo album, filled with photos of James, Lily, and Harry as an infant. Sprinkled throughout were photos of Sirius, Remus, Peter, and several other people that James and Lily had befriended during their years of life. James or Lily were in every single one of the photos.

Feeling reminiscent, Sirius continued to flip through the album, his fingers lingering on photos that had a good memory connected to them. Though he wasn't really a sentimental man, Sirius found tears filling his eyes as he flipped through the pages. His eyes closed with grief as he remembered his friends. James and Lily were now dead. Remus was all alone, somewhere. And Peter...

Sirius' eyes flew open, landing on a photo in the back of the album that he hadn't noticed before. It was a picture of Harry and two friends, presumably Ron and Hermione. Perched on Ron's shoulder was none other than Peter Pettigrew, in rat form. Sirius glared at the photo. The rat was even missing a toe, just like Peter Pettigrew.

Sure, now, that Wormtail and this boy's pet rat were one and the same, Sirius slipped the photo album into his pack and stood up, ready to head back downstairs. He now knew exactly where they were heading The Weasley's house.

Before Sirius could do anything else, however, a loud bang from downstairs made his freeze.

"Sirius!" Harry's panicked voice floated up the stairs toward him. Now alarmed at what was happening with Harry, and desperately hoping that Remus hadn't walked in the front door or something, because that would definitely make him break down, Sirius dashed out of the attic and down the stairs to help his godson.

* * *

**A/N - Catch something wrong with this fanfic, including typos, misspelled words, or a plot line that just doesn't make sense? Let me know, please.**

**I write fanfictions to better myself in my original story/novel writing. I strive for the best, but I admit to occasionally missing things. If you see anything that needs to be fixed, or you just have any advice or comments, let me know, in a review or PM. Also, I won't respond to every review, though I'll try with PMs. I just don't have the time. However, if you ask a question, I will try to respond with an answer. Thanks.**


	6. Denial

**Disclaimer :** I do not own Harry Potter or anything to do with the books. I am only borrowing the characters, places, spells, and some plot devices for my own entertainment purposes. They will be returned, cleaned and polished, to their original owner, JK Rowling, as soon as I am finished with them.

**The Brotherhood**

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**********A/N - This chapter was last modified on 28 December, 2011.**

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**********Chapter Five - Denial**

It was the sudden sound in the deep silence that made Harry wake up. He lay still for a moment, trying to figure out where he was. The ceiling was clearly not the same one he had woken up so often to at Azkaban. After a moment, he remembered. He and Sirius had escaped. They were in Remus' house. He then realised what the sound was that had woken him. The Floo had just gone off. Somebody had entered the house.

Desperately hoping it was just Remus, though even that could be just as disastrous as other things, Harry jumped to his feet. He whirled around just in time to see a pair of Aurors come out of the kitchen, wands held at the ready. They stopped at the sight of Harry and one immediately sent a spell toward him. He ducked out of the way, behind the sofa, and the spell flew over his head. It hit the bookshelf, causing an avalanche of books to tumble to the floor. Harry hoped that none of them were particularly expensive, because several looked rather charred.

The Aurors moved closer, their footsteps echoing on the wood floor. Harry slowly straightened, raising his hands high to let them know he wasn't armed. He made sure not to make any sudden movements and hoped that the Aurors didn't shoot him down anyway.

"Where's Black?" one of the Aurors asked, looking around warily, searching for him.

Harry was wondering the same thing, but he didn't look around. He didn't want to be caught unaware again in case the Aurors decided to attack him. Harry remembered Sirius promising he would be on guard, but clearly, these Aurors had got passed him somehow.

"Well? Speak, boy!" the other Auror ordered.

Harry stared at the two Aurors, not really sure what to do. Even if he had known where Sirius was, he wouldn't have revealed his knowledge. He glanced momentarily toward the front door, wondering if he could possibly make an escape. Wherever Sirius was, he was not being any help. All Harry knew was that he absolutely did not want to be sent back to Azkaban this soon after escaping.

Hoping that he was up to this with his lack of energy, Harry suddenly dove, barely missing the spells that the Aurors sent his way. He rolled to his feet behind the other sofa and made a wild dash toward the door.

Unfortunately, he was not fast enough. He heard a spell that he only faintly recognised, and suddenly ropes bound him. He crashed to the ground hard, crying out. The two Aurors came toward him, both wands pointed at him. Both looked beyond angry at his attempted escape.

Lying on the ground, bound in ropes, Harry could think of no other thing to do but call for help.

"Sirius!" he shouted.

The two Aurors looked around, searching for where the other man might make his entrance. Harry struggled against the ropes while he had the chance, hoping to get free. It didn't work. The ropes were tight.

Suddenly, a great black dog came barrelling out from the hallway, knocking the closest Auror over. The second Auror yelled and shot a spell toward him, but Padfoot dodged behind the sofa. Hidden from sight, he transformed into his human form. Jumping out again, he stunned both Aurors before either of them could react to his sudden appearance.

Harry, relieved, let out a breath and laid his head back on the ground.

Sirius came over and peered down at him. "You okay?" he asked, his expression showing worry.

"Yeah," Harry nodded breathlessly.

Sirius released Harry from the ropes, and then both of them turned to look at the unconscious Aurors. "We'll have to Obliviate them. They saw my Animagus form. I won't be able to use it any more if I don't remove the memory from their minds," Sirius commented.

Harry nodded mutely in agreement, rubbing his wrists where the ropes had been uncomfortably tight. He watched as Sirius Obliviated both men, his face an expression of complete concentration. When he was finished, he rubbed his face tiredly. "I hope I didn't permanently ruin their minds. I'm a little rusty," he muttered.

Harry found that he didn't care all that much what happened to the two Aurors. He was just glad that he wouldn't be heading back to Azkaban. "Where were you, anyway?" he asked.

Sirius shrugged. "The attic. I was exploring, and I found some of your stuff. The Invisibility Cloak and a couple of other things that you probably want to keep. The Cloak will be useful, at least,"

Harry perked up as he heard that. "Wait, why did Remus have my stuff?"

"I don't know. You said you hadn't even met him before, right?"

"Right," Harry confirmed.

"Then perhaps he just offered to take it, though why he did that..." Sirius shook his head, looking mildly perplexed. He glanced warily back at the two Aurors and murmured, "We should get out of here, while we still can."

Harry nodded, agreeing completely.

"And, we need to find you a wand. We can't have you defenceless, just in case something like this happens again," Sirius added, tucking his own stolen wand into his pocket. He stooped down and swiped both wands from the unconscious Aurors. "See which one fits better,"

Harry took both wands and gave them a wave. Neither seemed to have the power of his old wand, but the shorter one, with a lighter wood, felt better in his hand. He gave Sirius back the other wand and tucked his newly stolen wand into his pocket.

Sirius tucked the other wand away in his pocket. "We might need it," he muttered, seeing Harry's curious expression.

Harry nodded in understanding. Having an extra wand up their sleeve might save their life.

Sirius went back over to the hallway and picked up a pack, which Harry presumed had the Cloak and some other things in it, from its bulkiness. The pair left Remus' house, not bothering to look back.

* * *

It was an early morning on the Werewolf Preserve, where Remus Lupin was situated at the moment. It wasn't by choice that he was staying in a cabin there. He was on a mission for the Order. Dumbledore had asked him to try to recruit werewolves. It wasn't going very well at all. The opposition, namely, Voldemort and Fenrir Greyback, was very persuasive.

Remus stretched as he came out of the cabin he shared with one other werewolf, Stan, and peered up into the sky, where the sun was already shining brightly. It wasn't exactly the best of places to stay, and Remus was very much missing the comfort of his own home. Unfortunately, he owed Dumbledore a great lot and he couldn't just refuse the task asked of him. He was the only man for the job, being the only werewolf in the Order. Besides, he would've spent his entire life here, if it hadn't been for Dumbledore. He could spend a few weeks here to try to repay his debt.

Stan exited the cabin behind him and the pair silently made their way to where breakfast was being served. Standing in the line, Remus glanced around at the ragged line of werewolves that filled the area. Men, women, and children all gathered together here, and all looked weary of their lives. Remus would too if he had to permanently stay here.

"An owl!" someone cried.

Everyone's eyes turned to the sky in time to see a brown owl swoop down over the wall. In its talons was a letter, neatly rolled and sealed.

Owls were rare things to see at the Werewolf Preserve, mostly because the majority of the people stuck there didn't have any outside family or friends that would try to communicate with them.

The owl fluttered over to Remus and landed on his shoulder. Most of the people gave him a hostile look as the owl came to him. He was just a visitor, an outsider to them, and he knew that he would never really be accepted here in the Preserve.

Taking the letter from the owl, Remus turned to avoid the glares of those around him and broke the seal. The owl hooted a dubious farewell and took off, but Remus didn't notice, too involved in the letter as he was.

"Remus, what is it?" Stan asked.

Remus turned. "I have to go," he said, "It's urgent,"

Stan's eyebrows went up as he watched Remus hurry away from the breakfast line, tucking the letter into his pocket as he went.

Remus' stuff was still gathered tidily in a pack in his cabin and Remus was able to grab it quickly before rushing out of the Preserve, ignoring all the looks he was getting.

As soon as he was outside of the gate, Remus Apparated away, going to Hogsmeade. From there he Flooed up to the Headmaster's Office, using the Floo in the post office.

Dumbledore turned from his seat at his desk when Remus came in.

"Ah, you received my letter, then?" Dumbledore asked. His face was grim, and for once, he looked his age.

Remus collapsed into a chair across from Dumbledore. "Please, tell me it isn't true. He hasn't escaped! He can't possibly have!" Remus cried out, distressed.

Dumbledore watched him, pity on his face. "I'm afraid it is true. Sirius Black and Harry Potter both escaped from Azkaban last night. They Flooed directly to your house, which they fortunately found empty. Aurors came after them and they departed,"

Remus looked up. "Why would they go to my house?"

Dumbledore looked thoughtful as he folded his hands in front of him. "I believe they may be searching for you, Remus,"

"Why, though?" Remus asked.

"Perhaps they are seeking revenge, for whatever reason. Or, they may think that you will find them innocent," Dumbledore suggested.

"But that's insane," he protested.

"Indeed it is. But you have to remember, Remus, that these two men just escaped from Azkaban. They very well could be insane,"

Remus lowered his head into his hands.

Dumbledore paused for a moment before continuing. "The Ministry has put wards up around your house to prevent them from coming back. If they do return, it will trip an alarm that will send Aurors there immediately. You should be safe there, for a time,"

Remus nodded miserably. "What about the werewolves?" he asked.

Dumbledore hesitated before answering, "I believe that mission may be somewhat of a failure at this point in time. Perhaps, we will try again at a later date. For now, however, I suggest you go home. Perhaps a cup of tea is in order, and a bit of Calming Draught,"

Remus nodded agreeably. "Right,"

Dumbledore offered his fireplace for Remus to Floo home, and Remus did so. Stepping out into his home at the other end, Remus gaped at the mess that had been left behind from the struggle that had obviously taken place.

"So much for a relaxing afternoon," he muttered, annoyed.

* * *

**A/N - Catch something wrong with this fanfic, including typos, misspelled words, or a plot line that just doesn't make sense? Let me know, please.**

**I write fanfictions to better myself in my original story/novel writing. I strive for the best, but I admit to occasionally missing things. If you see anything that needs to be fixed, or you just have any advice or comments, let me know, in a review or PM. Also, I won't respond to every review, though I'll try with PMs. I just don't have the time. However, if you ask a question, I will try to respond with an answer. Thanks.**


	7. Planning

**Disclaimer: **I'm just borrowing the characters for my own amusement, they are not mine.

**The Brotherhood**

**

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**~~~ Chapter Six ~~~**

Harry crouched behind a bush near the outskirts of the small town that they had stumbled upon. Sirius had gone in, under the invisibility cloak, to steal some food and perhaps a map. Neither of them liked stealing, but they had to do it to be able to survive.

They had thought that they might have been able to go into a muggle town without facing suspicion, but it wasn't so. The first time they had tried, they passed a store selling televisions, and every single one of them was on a station that had the news on, and both of their photographs were shown. They had quickly hurried out of there after seeing that.

Peering around the bush, Harry watched the small store into which Sirius has disappeared, hoping he came back fast. He was always nervous when Sirius went off like this, because who knew what could happen while he was gone? Sirius had insisted that he was the one who do the thievery, rather than Harry, saying that he didn't want his Godson to be a criminal, even if the world considered him one. However, Harry had managed to convince Sirius to get them both new clothes, and they were able to get cleaned up, so when someone saw them, they didn't instantly think that they might be criminals.

Harry suddenly heard footsteps coming toward him, and seeing no one, he figured it was Sirius, so he wasn't surprised when Sirius suddenly appeared beside him, clutching several cans of food.

Harry quickly opened the backpack which Sirius had stolen early on, and Sirius dumped the cans in it.

"Did you find out where we are?" Harry questioned.

Sirius nodded and pulled a map out of his pocket. He quickly unfolded it. "Now, where did you say the Weasley's lived?"

"Ottery St. Catchpole," Harry replied at once.

Sirius nodded and promptly located in on the map. "Okay, and we are about here," Sirius said, pointing to a place quite a distance from the first location.

"Looks like we've got a big trip ahead of us," Harry commented, frowning.

"Well, I might be able to apparate us some of the way. I'd apparate us all the way, but you can only apparate to places you've been before, and I've never been to Ottery St. Catchpole," Sirius murmured, also frowning at the long distance.

"I've been there. Maybe you could teach me to apparate," Harry suggested.

Sirius looked over at his Godson, a pondering look on his face.

"I don't think I'm that good of a teacher. And with our luck, you'd probably ending splinching yourself really bad and we'd be stuck somewhere for days," Sirius shook his head after several seconds of thought.

Harry frowned. For hearing stories about how reckless Sirius was, he seemed to be very cautious about everything. He had immediately vetoed the idea of Harry becoming an animagus when Harry suggested it, although Harry had reminded him that he was older than Sirius was when he had become one. Sirius had only shaken his head and said that it was a whole different circumstance, which Harry had to agree with, although he had done so grudgingly.

"So we walk?" Harry said, sighing.

"I'll practice my apparating skills again," Sirius agreed.

Harry flung the backpack onto his back and the pair stood up and headed for the cover of the forest.

The pair had been walking for about two and a half weeks now, and Harry was tired of it. Although, it was better than being in Azkaban by a long shot. He wished, though, that they could find someplace to settle down and hide for a while instead of walking, but that was unlikely to happen. They had to keep moving to avoid everyone who was searching for them. And Harry had yet to send that bouquet of flowers to Ginny, although, she probably knew they had escaped by now, like everyone else.

"Sirius,"

"Yea?"

"How long do you think it will be until we get to the Weasley's?" Harry asked.

"I'd say a week, at least. Why?" Sirius answered, glancing over at his Godson as they walked.

"No reason," Harry replied. He really hoped that Wormtail was still hiding with the Weasley family, even though Ron wasn't there anymore, because if he wasn't this whole trip would be a waste.


	8. Birthday

**Disclaimer:** You'd think that people would know Harry Potter was not owned by a bored teenager.

**The Brotherhood**

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**~~~ Chapter Seven ~~~**

Ginny sat, looking out her window at the sunset which lit the sky with bright colours. It was the eve of July 31st, and Ginny wondered just how Harry had spent his sixteenth birthday. She knew that he wasn't guilty, but she found it somewhat strange that he was travelling with Sirius Black, who, although being Harry's Godfather, was supposedly a real murderer, not just framed like Harry. She had doubts about that as well though. Why would Harry stay with him unless he wasn't a murderer? Maybe Black had been framed as well. Or Harry actually was a murderer…

Ginny firmly shook her head, pushing that thought away. She had seen the murderer with her own eyes. It was not Harry. Why would h go on a killing spree anyway? He hated dark wizards.

Sighing, Ginny watched the last of the sunlight disappear before standing up from her seat. "Harry Birthday, Harry," she whispered, then left the room to go downstairs where her mum would be serving dinner soon.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus was back at home again. The home in which Black and Harry had stayed for a few hours immediately after escaping from Azkaban. Remus had come back to find it a huge mess, although he suspected that it had been the aurors who had done that, not the two convicts.

He had found nothing missing, except the invisibility cloak, which Dumbledore had said they took, so he expected it to be missing, and two other things. One, he knew why they took. The photo album with Harry's parents in it. Harry would want that for obvious reasons, even if Black didn't care about his old friends. The other thing they took was the book which the Marauders had made in school, and Remus didn't really know why they had stolen that. Harry would probably enjoy it, though.

The longer Remus had thought about the two convicts, the more he was sure that Harry was innocent. Black was guilty, he knew that almost as a fact, but he knew there was no way that Harry had committed the crime he was punished for. Even though Remus never knew the boy, besides as an infant, he knew that the boy couldn't possibly have done it.

He knew that it was Harry's birthday today, and he wondered, like Ginny, what he was doing to celebrate it. Did he even know that he was sixteen years old? There was no doubt that Black would probably completely ignore it. Why should he care when Harry's birthday was? He probably only helped Harry escape so that he could take him to Voldemort. That's probably where they were headed, right this moment.

Of course, not very many people believed that Voldemort had risen. Remus only knew because he was a member of The Order of the Phoenix, which Dumbledore was the leader of. According to Dumbledore, Voldemort had risen almost a year ago, with the help of Barty Crouch JR, who had escaped from Azkaban right from under the ministry's nose without them realising it.

Dumbledore only knew this information, because of the Order's spy, Severus Snape. Of course, Remus didn't trust Snape even as far as he could throw him, but Dumbledore did, so Remus tolerated him.

The ministry, run by Cornelius Fudge, didn't believe that Voldemort was back, so Dumbledore had been forced to take action himself. Voldemort kept himself hidden though, so there really no was proof, besides of course, some random disappearances and such, that the ministry had taken to blaming on Black and Harry since they had escaped. The disappearances had started before the two had escaped though, but what did the ministry care about that?

Turning from this subject, as it was a slightly sensitive subject, he instead turned his attention to his dinner guest, Nymphadora Tonks. She had been chattering away about some obscure subject, and Remus, admittedly hadn't been paying attention, besides giving the occasional nod of the head or small murmur of agreement.

**~~~TB~~~**

The two convicts were hidden in a small abandoned shack that they had found two days earlier and Sirius was acting strange. He was oddly perky, considering their situation. Most days, he was moody and quiet, but today, it was almost as if he was happy again.

"Harry," Sirius suddenly said, looking up from the can of food he was devouring.

"What?" Harry asked, his eyes focused on his own food.

"Do you know what day today is?" Sirius questioned.

Harry looked up and gave Sirius a decidedly confused look. "Uh, Monday maybe?" he suggested.

Sirius chuckled. "Well, I don't know if it's Monday or not, but I meant the date, Harry. What's the date?"

Harry shook his head. "No idea," he replied.

Sirius sighed. "It's July 31st, Harry," he stated.

"Oh," Harry murmured. Then he caught on. "Oh!"

"Harry birthday, Harry," Sirius smiled, holding out a roughly wrapped parcel.

Harry carefully accepted, wondering what Sirius could have possibly got for him.

Unwrapping the newspaper in which the gift was wrapped Harry was more than a little surprised to find a couple books. Harry instantly recognised the photo album and he gasped softly. Glancing at the other title, he stared at it in amazement.

"Sirius, where did you get these?" he questioned, the awe evident in his voice.

"Remus had them, along with your cloak," Sirius explained.

Harry thanked Sirius profusely for the small reminders of his father, and the life he had had before Azkaban. Sirius was simply happy that Harry seemed to like the gifts.


	9. Weasley

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and everything to do with it, doesn't belong to me.

**The Brotherhood**

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**~~~ Chapter Eight ~~~**

Harry felt a pang of sorrow as he stared at the house in front of him. He was crouched beside Sirius on a hill overlooking The Burrow and he was suddenly nervous at what they had planned to do.

Their plan was simple. As soon as the house was quiet, Sirius and Harry would sneak into the house. Harry would head up to Ginny's room under his invisibility cloak and Sirius would wait in the kitchen for them to come down. He would be in dog form and would be ready to cause a distraction, if Harry needed one.

"Are you ready?" Sirius glanced over at his godson. He frowned as he saw that Harry looked particularly pale. "You alright?"

"I'm fine. Let's go," Harry muttered.

Sirius nodded and the pair ducked under the invisibility cloak before they crept toward the house in silence.

The door was locked, but Sirius whispered, "Alohomora," and it opened quietly.

Sirius led the way in, holding his wand steady. The house was dark; everyone was asleep.

"Go," Sirius muttered.

Harry crept through the house. He stopped suddenly when he saw the clock that was sitting on the counter. All the names of the Weasley family were pointed at 'home', except Charlie, whose name was pointed at 'work'. Was he still in Romania?

Harry noticed that Ron's name was pointed at 'home' and smiled lightly at the comforting thought.

Continuing on, Harry rushed up the stairs, trying to keep quiet. The Weasley's may be his favorite family in the world, but they despised him, if he could count on what several of them had said when he was caught and he did not want to be seen in their house.

Harry paused outside Ginny's door. He wasn't sure if he should just go in or knock first. Deciding to just go in, he gently opened the door and slipped into the room, closing the door behind him afterward.

Looking around the room, Harry found Ginny lying asleep on the bed, the blankets covering all of her except the top of her head and a great bundle of bright red hair.

Pulling the invisibility cloak off of him, he let it pool on the floor near the door with easy access, in case he needed a quick getaway.

Harry walked over to Ginny's bedside and gently reached out to shake her awake. When she startled awake, he hurriedly put a hand over her mouth to muffle the shriek of surprise that nearly came out when she saw him there.

Ginny stared at him for only half a second before she pulled his hand away from her mouth and sat up.

"Harry," she breathed, looking back at his slightly weary face. "What are you doing here? You'll get caught!" she insisted.

Harry only shook his head. "Scabbers. Is he still here?" Harry asked, getting right to the point.

Ginny gave a confused look that was laced with disappointment. He had come here for the rat?

"No. Scabbers disappeared shortly after…" she trailed off.

Harry nodded as if expecting this, although he looked discouraged. He turned and walked back over to the door and picked up the cloak.

"Wait! Are you leaving already?" she asked, climbing out of bed.

Harry nodded again.

"Where will you go?" Ginny questioned.

"With my godfather, wherever he determines we should search next," Harry answered.

"Godfather? Oh, Black," Ginny muttered, her voice lowering.

The pair stared at each other for a moment, and then Harry reached for the door.

"Wait," Ginny said.

Harry paused once again.

Ginny hesitated, then said, "Take me with you."

Harry froze, shocked. "Why?"

"My family doesn't understand. You couldn't have done it! I can't stand staying with them. They treat me like a little girl, like I don't know what I'm talking about. I could go with you," she pleaded.

Harry considered it. "I'll be waiting in the kitchen. Don't take too long," he answered, having decided that she could be a great help to the search.

Ginny grinned. Harry slipped under the cloak again and left the room. He made his way down the stairs, careful not to step on the creaky step which he remembered from his past summers spent here.

Reaching the kitchen, Harry found Padfoot sitting near the door, looking alertly at the doorway where Harry entered.

Harry whispered, "It's just me," and Padfoot relaxed.

With a soft 'pop' Sirius appeared in human form as Harry took off the cloak.

"Is he here?" Sirius asked.

Harry shook his head. Sirius scowled.

Footsteps on the hallway outside the room made them both pause.

"Who is that?" Sirius asked softly, raising his wand.

"Ginny, hopefully," Harry replied, stepping closer to Sirius.

The door opened and a redhead did appear, except, it wasn't Ginny. It was Molly. She stopped when she saw them, her eyes widening. She pulled out her wand and pointed it back at the pair.

"Arthur!" she shrieked, panicked.

More footsteps came down the hallway, but this time, it was Ginny. She came into the room behind her mum and saw the scene.

Several pairs of footsteps sounded on the stairs, coming to see what Molly had shouted about.

Harry caught Ginny's eye before, with one fluid movement, both Harry and Sirius were out the door and running.

Ginny followed them seconds later.

"Ginny!" Molly's voice rang out in despair as the woman exited the house. Ginny glanced back and saw her parents and the three brothers that were home all standing right outside the door, watching in bewilderment and horror as she ran off with the two supposed criminals.


	10. Opportunity

**Disclaimer:** Would J. K. Rowling really be rewriting her series on this site?

**The Brotherhood**

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**~~~ Chapter Nine ~~~**

Dumbledore was troubled. Molly and Arthur Weasley sat in the chairs in front of his desk, Molly sobbing softly. They had just finished telling the story of what had happened earlier that night.

Dumbledore knew that Ginny did not believe Harry was guilty of the crimes he was imprisoned for, but for her to leave with him when he stopped at the Weasley's house? That wasn't something that he thought she would do.

Why would Harry and Black go to The Burrow in the first place? Was it just to get Ginny? Was that why she left with them? Or was there some other reason?

Dumbledore frowned. He was used to being able to make sense of everything, but he didn't understand this. Maybe if Harry alone came to get Ginny, she would go with him, but Black was with him. Obviously, Harry trusted Black, but Ginny knew that Black was guilty, even if she said Harry wasn't.

Sighing, Dumbledore showed the Weasley parents out of his office, and sat down to think further into the situation. There had to be some sort of explanation.

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny trudged after the two convicts, her breath coming out in gasps and clutching a cramp in her side. "Can we stop yet?" she asked.

Harry glanced over at Sirius, who sighed. He muttered something quietly to Harry and then turned around. "We don't have far to go. We just have to get out of the area before the sun rises," he informed her.

Ginny huffed and sent Harry a look. "How can you handle this?" she asked him.

Harry wasn't breathing heavily at all. The pace they had been going didn't bother him even the least little bit. "I'm used to it," he murmured in reply, then set off, Sirius walking by his side.

Ginny frowned, but followed. She had volunteered herself for this, after all.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus Lupin found himself standing, once again, in Dumbledore's office. The older man was watching him with calculating eyes, waiting for an answer.

Remus himself was considering the question. It was difficult, but Remus thought he had an answer.

"No,"

Dumbledore sighed. "Remus, you're the best choice. If anyone can find Harry, Black, and Miss Weasley, it would be you. You Black the best, and he is most likely the one leading the group," he tried to convince the werewolf.

"I don't want anything to do with Black," Remus stated, bitterly.

"Just, don't say no yet, Remus. Think on it and get back to me," Dumbledore pleaded.

Remus shook his head, but didn't protest any further, letting Dumbledore know that he would at least think about it.

**~~~TB~~~**

"We're here," announced Sirius grandly as the trio entered a small meadow. They could see the sun rising through the trees and Ginny was grateful for the light, not used to spending most of her waking hours in the dark like the other two.

Harry took off his backpack and dropped it on the ground before plopping down beside it. Sirius did the same. Ginny sat down on a rock instead of the dirty ground.

Sirius, who was sitting close to Harry, muttered something under his breath to his Godson and Harry shrugged before replying, just as softly.

Ginny watched them carefully. It seemed that these two were fairly close and she felt like she was intruding, although Harry had very willingly accepted her request to go with him.

"Time for introductions, I think," Sirius suddenly said, breaking the silence that filled the meadow. "I'm Sirius Black, also known as Padfoot."

"Ginny Weasley," Ginny replied, studying Sirius intently. Even if Harry was hanging around him, he could still be a criminal, and that made her weary.

"He's innocent," Harry stated, seeing Ginny's hesitant expression.

"The world just doesn't know it yet. Our quest is to prove to the world that we are both innocent," Sirius informed her.

"But you came looking for Scabbers, right? What does Scabbers have to do with proving your innocence?" Ginny questioned.

Sirius and Harry exchanged a look. "I think it's time you heard the full story," Sirius said.

Harry figured that Sirius was going to only tell Ginny about how he was falsely imprisoned, so he was startled when Sirius started with the sentence, "I was born into one of darkest families in the wizard world."

Harry, however, listened with fascination as his Godfather told about how he grew up in the dark family. Sirius continued straight on through Hogwarts, letting Ginny know just the basics of his time there, mainly making his friends and then becoming animagus. Finally, he told her everything that had happened since he graduated, James and Lily's wedding, Harry's birth, suggesting Peter for the secret keeper, the Halloween night, being sent to Azkaban, meeting Harry there, and then escaping. He finished by saying that he had figured out that Scabbers and Wormtail was the same rat, and that was why he had gone to The Burrow.

Ginny listened with rapt attention, taking it all in. When Sirius finished with a slightly awkward, "And now you know everything," she murmured, "No kidding,"


	11. Hiding

**Disclaimer:** I Have no more ideas for witty disclaimers, so you'll just have to deal with a simple "it's not mine" today.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - To anyone who skipped to this chapter from their story alerts: You should know that this story has been rewritten, and so if you start reading here without having read the previous chapters that are new, you'll be completely lost. **

**To those who are reading from the beginning: Enjoy the new chapter.

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**~~~ Chapter Ten ~~~**

"Where are we, Sirius?" Harry asked, sounding annoyed. Sirius had been tightlipped about where they were heading to next, and Harry was obviously annoyed with it.

The three of them were standing in the middle of the street, staring at the houses on one side. Ginny noticed that the houses jumped from number eleven to number thirteen.

"Where's number twelve?" Ginny asked.

Harry turned from looking at Sirius to study the houses.

"It's under a fidelius charm," Sirius announced.

"So that's where we're going?" Harry asked.

Sirius still didn't answer.

"He probably can't answer, because he's not the secret keeper," Ginny explained to Harry, knowing how the spell worked.

Sirius nodded slightly. "I think I'm going to have to apparate you two in," he murmured.

Turning to Ginny, he said, "Stay here, I'll be right back," then grabbed Harry's arm and disappeared with a pop.

Harry and Sirius appeared in the entrance room of number twelve Grimmauld Place. "Is this where you used to live?" Harry asked.

"Yea," Sirius grimaced at the darkened room. He waved the borrowed wand and the room lightened. Harry almost preferred the dark when he saw the dust covered floor, the gruesome trolls leg umbrella stand by the door, and the house elf heads that lined the stairs.

"Lovely house," he commented.

Sirius grunted. "Don't wander or touch anything," he said, then popped away.

Harry didn't go far, just further into the room. Suddenly a portrait asked, "Who are you?" Harry turned to see a woman, staring at him suspiciously.

"Harry," Harry replied, deciding it best that he didn't reveal his last name.

"What are you doing here, boy?" the portrait asked.

Harry frowned. "Sirius brought me here," he told her.

"Sirius? The bloodtraitor? I thought he was in Azkaban!" she shrieked.

"He escaped," Harry informed her.

The woman didn't seem to hear him, as she started to mutter under her breath. She got louder and louder, and was soon screaming about 'mudbloods' and 'bloodtraitors'.

Harry could only stare at her in alarm.

"Harry?" Sirius' voice rang out. A moment later, Sirius appeared by his side.

The woman in the portrait instantly fell silent.

"Hello mother," Sirius greeted.

"Mother?" Harry repeated.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, glaring at Sirius.

"Hiding," Sirius told her, then conjured up a curtain and pulled it shut, covering the portrait.

"That was your mother?" Ginny asked. She had been very alarmed when she appeared in the house to hear a woman shrieking at the top of her lungs.

"Yea," Sirius muttered. He glanced around the room and then went down a staircase. Harry and Ginny followed, silently.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry and Ginny, both under glamour charms, strode side by side down Diagon Alley, Padfoot, in dog form, between them. Ginny had received her Hogwarts' letter the day before and they had decided to buy her supplies today.

She had protested going at all, but Sirius had insisted, saying that she needed an education, and informing Harry that he would be home schooling him during the year as well. Of course, this meant that Harry now needed a wand.

Before, Harry having a wand really wasn't needed, since he was under The Trace anyway. At Grimmald Place, however, the fidelius charm made it so that no magic could be detected there.

Money wasn't a problem, since Harry had sent an owl to Gringotts, requesting money be withdrawn from the Potter vault and sent to him. Upon being sent to Azkaban, the vault he had been withdrawing all the money from during his Hogwarts years had been locked, so he couldn't access it. However, Sirius had informed him that his wasn't the only vault. There was also the Potter Family Vault, which Harry had access to, as the ministry hadn't locked it since Harry hadn't known about it. Sirius had also told him that the Goblins weren't concerned with wizard problems and therefore wouldn't care if a convict asked for money out of their vault.

They had just about finished their shopping, the only thing left was to get Harry's wand.

"Is it just me, or is that man staring at us?" Ginny suddenly asked.

Harry looked over and quickly spotted the man that was watching them. Actually, he wasn't watching them; he was watching Padfoot.

Padfoot noticed this too. He stared at the man for a moment longer before walking toward him, determinedly.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look before following. Ginny wondered who the man was, but Harry had a faint idea. He had seen the man before, except he was many times younger looking. This man was Remus Lupin.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus sat at a table at the ice cream shop, waiting for Tonks. She was scheduled to meet him here in five minutes, and he had arrived early to do some shopping. Gazing around at the shoppers, his eyes fell on two teenagers ambling along casually. They were talking, about what, Remus didn't know, but they looked fairly amused about whatever it was.

His eyes flickered down to a dog that was walking in between the pair, the boy's hand resting on its back. His eyes widened as he recognized the dog; his old friend, Padfoot.

He stared at the trio, but they didn't see him. Until, the girl looked up and met his gaze squarely. They stared at each other for a moment, before she murmured something to the boy. Both the boy and Padfoot looked over at him and then headed in his direction.

Not sure what to do, Remus looked around. The street was full of people, so Remus hoped that this didn't come to a confrontation. Then again, Sirius had attacked a street full of people once before.

Padfoot and the two teenagers, which Remus suspected were Harry and the Weasley girl, were getting ever closer and Remus decided he had better not risk it. Whatever the trio was doing here in Diagon Alley, he didn't want to be involved.

Remus stood and headed through the crowds, hoping to loose Padfoot. When he arrived at The Leaky Cauldron, he found that Padfoot was still following him. Sighing, he turned on the spot and apparated to Hogsmeade, where he could inform Dumbledore of what had happened.


	12. Separation

**Disclaimer: **I don't own this.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - I should let you know that chapters will not be coming out very fast for a while. For one, I've reached the end of my pre-written chapters, and for another, my mom is in the hospital and the stress has given me a severe case of writer's block. I'll press forward though and attempt to get in at least one chapter a week. Thanks to those that reviewed the last chapter. Your reviews are very much appreciated.

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**~~~ Chapter Eleven ~~~**

Harry lounged lazily on the couch, Ginny on the floor at his feet with Sirius sitting across the room. Ginny was reading the Marauder's Guide to Mischief Making out loud, reading some of the more amusing pranks that the quartet of troublemakers had played on various people.

Harry was chuckling at one of the more elaborate pranks on Snape when Sirius sighed. Both teenagers paused and looked over at him. "I need Moony to understand. I need to convince him I'm innocent," he stated.

Ginny closed the book and sat up straight. "School starts in two days. When I'm back at Hogwarts, I won't be able to help you with anything, so if you're going to do something, do it now," she stated.

Sirius frowned at her. "I don't even know what to do though. Without Wormtail, our plan is completely useless," Sirius murmured, his eyes going blurry as he thought back to previous times.

Harry sighed. He understood how Sirius felt. Although he had Ginny by his side, the rest of the world hated him - the same world who had loved him, praised him even. They had claimed him as their hero, and then gone and turned their backs on him at the first opportunity.

"On that note, Ginny, what are you going to tell everyone? They all think you were abducted by us, so what will they think when you show up at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

Ginny smirked, "I was thinking of telling about an epic escape or something."

Harry snorted, "No, really."

"I'll tell them the truth. You came, I believed your innocence, I left with you, and then I decided to come to Hogwarts rather than stay with you, because your lack of bathing caused you to stink, and it was getting to me," Ginny replied.

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's not that bad."

"How long has it been since you took a shower?" Ginny asked.

Harry didn't answer.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus was setting up his office. The thought made him pause. He had an _office_. That was never something that he thought would happen. As a werewolf, he never had a stable job, but here he was, setting up his _office _as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at _Hogwarts_.

He hadn't really wanted the job but Dumbledore had convinced him, saying that it would also provide a safe place where Black and Potter couldn't find him. Remus paused again. He also had never thought, when he was younger, at least, that he would be hiding from two people with the last names of Black and Potter. Back then, those names meant friendship, not fear.

Sighing, Remus continued to stack his books, trying to push the dark thoughts away.

**~~~TB~~~**

Molly Weasley was troubled. Her only daughter, Ginny, had disappeared off with Harry Potter; the boy who had murdered her son, Ron, and then escaped from Azkaban with the infamous Sirius Black. She hadn't heard from or seen her daughter since then, so she had a very qualified reason to be worried.

What had brought this thought to her mind, once again, was the fact that it was the morning of September first, and for the first time in nearly fourteen years she wasn't at King's Cross Station, sending children off to Hogwarts. Of course, she had known it would end some time, but she had thought that she had three more years of it. Now, Ron was gone, and Ginny was missing, so neither would be going this year.

Molly gazed sadly across the breakfast table, which was deserted. Arthur had left early to go into work. Bill was in Egypt and Charlie in Romania. Percy wasn't speaking to the family and the twins were living in their shop. Her house was empty. There was no one to care for anymore. They were all gone.

This was why Molly was thinking about her daughter, somewhere out with two criminals, probably never to be seen again.

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny sighed as she stood outside of King's Cross Station, Padfoot at her side. Harry had opted to stay at Grimmauld Place rather than come in disguise, but Sirius had come in dog form to make sure nothing happened to her.

Walking inside, Ginny glanced around the station and was glad to see that there was nobody there that she knew. That didn't last long though, as soon as she crossed onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters, she was surrounded by familiar faces. Nobody seemed to notice her, or Padfoot, as she walked along trying to act normal.

Loading her trunk into an empty compartment, Ginny bent down so her face was level with Padfoot's face. "I'll try to keep in contact," she murmured.

Padfoot yipped softly, then turned and made himself off of the train and off the platform. Ginny watched him go. She sat down in her seat then, her stomach flipping with nervousness. No, it wasn't running off with two supposedly dangerous criminals that made her nervous. It was coming back that set her nerves on high.


	13. Information

**Disclaimer:** Not mine. See previous chapters.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Thanks for all the reviews. They definitely cheered me up and cured me of my writer's block.

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**~~~ Chapter Twelve ~~~**

"Harry!" Sirius called out.

Harry looked up from where he was flipping through his photo album.

"Yea?" he called out. He had been in a permanent bad mood since Ginny ha left. Without her companionship, everything seemed a lot gloomier around Grimmauld Place.

Sirius loped into the room, waving a piece of parchment in front of him. "Ginny wrote," he informed the boy.

Harry hurriedly climbed to his feet and rushed over to where Sirius stood, holding the letter.

Sirius smirked in amusement as Harry ripped open the letter and began to read excitedly. However, his excitement didn't last long. His face fell as he read the letter.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, suddenly concerned.

"She's having a tough time. She says that she's already been taken to the ministry twice to be questioned, and her mum is thinking about pulling her out of school, because of all the negative attention she's getting," Harry reported.

"Oh. Well, we suspected this would happen, didn't we?"

Harry didn't reply, because he was reading further down the letter. Suddenly, he smiled again. "She has good news though,"

"What is it?" Sirius questioned.

Harry looked up and grinned. "You'll never guess the Defense teacher,"

Sirius looked confused until Harry said, "Professor Remus Lupin."

Sirius smiled then too. "Well, Harry, it looks like we've got our next mission. Breaking into Hogwarts!"

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny glowered at Professor Snape over her cauldron. Ever since the start of this year, she had been particularly cruel to her. She suspected it was a mixture of several things. One, he thought she knew where his two archenemies were, and two, Remus Lupin was teaching, which made him in an irritable mood anyway.

Whatever it was, Ginny was sick of it. Along with all the students questioning or shunning her about Harry, and the teachers keeping an eye on her, like she was a criminal herself, Hogwarts was not fun this year.

Ginny silently cursed Sirius and his stubborn persistence that she go to Hogwarts. She would have rather stayed with them, regardless of if she ever graduated from school, then have to deal with being a social outcast. Of course, she was a social outcast anyway, living with Sirius and Harry, but this was worse, because she was alone.

Ginny waited impatiently for the class to end, and as soon as they were dismissed, she rushed out of there, nearly knocking one of her classmates over as she did so.

Slowing down as she found herself in the near empty hallways leading to the Great Hall for lunch, Ginny kept her eyes down.

"Ginny," a voice called out. Ginny glanced sideways. It was Luna, of course. Luna Lovegood was the only person in the school who didn't seem to think of Ginny as anything but normal. Ginny almost wondered if she oblivious to what had gone on.

"Hello Luna," Ginny greeted, slowing to a stop.

"Are you going for lunch?" Luna asked, tucking her wand behind her ear.

"Yes," Ginny replied.

"Me too," Luna stated.

Without more comments, Ginny and Luna walked side by side down the hallway, ignoring the looks they received.

They had just taken a seat at the Gryffindor table, despite Luna being a Ravenclaw, when a shout came out. "They've been spotted!"

Ginny looked up, startled.

Not far from her, Hermione, Neville, and several other sixth years were huddled around a newspaper. Ginny strained to hear them.

Listening closely, she heard Hermione reading the article out loud. The subject made her freeze. It was about Harry and Sirius, and how they had been seen in Hogsmeade.

"What are they doing so close?" she asked in a whisper, her eyes going wide.

Luna distracted her then, offering some pudding.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus sighed as he sat at his desk, reading the Daily Prophet. He had just finished the article saying Black and Potter were seen in Hogsmeade. He was nearly hyperventilating with panic.

He had suspected before that the pair would come after him, but now, his suspicions were confirmed. They had gone looking for him at his home, lucky he wasn't there; then, they had nearly caught him in Diagon Alley. Now, they were coming to him at Hogwarts, where he had thought he would be safe.

Becoming restless, Remus stood and began pacing around his office. He was sure that Dumbledore already knew that they were after him, but Dumbledore thought that Remus was perfectly safe at Hogwarts. He thought that the pair of criminals couldn't get in.

Remus thought that he was wrong. If anyone knew how to get into the castle undetected, it was Black. Not to mention that they had the Marauder's Map too, since they had taken it.

"Professor?" a voice broke him out of his pacing. He turned to look and saw someone very unexpected standing there – Hermione Granger.

Remus recalled, from reading about Harry's conviction, that Hermione was one of Harry's friends. Or, she had been at least. She was very shy, which he had been told was not normal for her. But then again, she had lost both of her best friends all in one go last summer. Kind of like him, actually.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" he replied.

She was giving him a peculiar look, but then she shook her head and answered, "I just had a question about last week's exam…"

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**A/N - I hope to break 100 reviews with this chapter. I have almost 400 regular readers, so nine reviews should be nothing, right? Still, the most reviews I've ever gotten on a chapters was only thirteen...**


	14. Sneaking

**Disclaimer: **If I ever publish a book, I'll let you know, but for now, I don't own anything, especially Harry Potter.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - I'm quite disappointed. I thought I could get up to 100 reviews with the last chapter. All well, I trust you can give me two reviews at least? Thanks for those seven people who did review the last chapter though, they were much appreciated.

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**~~~ Chapter Thirteen ~~~**

Harry stared up at the Shrieking Shack. "We really have to go in there?"

"There's no other way onto the grounds," Sirius answered, "In plus, it's not haunted, remember? That was just Remus."

"Yea, okay," Harry reluctantly agreed. He went up to the boarded up door and squeezed through one of the holes. Sirius followed after him, having to break off one of the boards so he would fit.

"It's over here," Sirius led the way to where the trapdoor was hidden.

Harry looked around the deserted shack and found that there was pieces of broken furniture scattered around, and there was a thick layer of dust as well.

Harry grimaced as he saw a large spot of blood on one of the walls, which he pointedly avoided as he followed his godfather over to where the trapdoor now lay open.

As Harry stared into the darkness in which he had to climb, he let out a deep breath. He really hoped this worked.

Harry lowered himself into the tunnel, and then took a few steps forward, providing Sirius enough room to climb down beside him and shut the trapdoor, making the tunnel pitch black.

"The tunnel is mostly straight, so just keep walking, however," Sirius paused and Harry could hear a bit of amusement in his voice, "There are a few parts with low ceilings, so be weary."

Harry nodded, then remembered that Sirius couldn't see him.

"Okay," he murmured, then started forward, raising his arms out to prevent him from colliding with the walls.

It didn't take long before Harry tripped over a loose root on the ground and fell. "You alright?" Sirius questioned.

Harry grunted as he climbed to his feet. Sirius had sounded further behind him than he expected.

As he stood straight, Harry bumped his head on the ceiling. Harry cursed low under his breath and Sirius chuckled, "I warned you didn't I?"

The rest of the trip to the entrance was uneventful.

Sirius went in front of Harry and touched the root before transforming into a dog and exiting the tree. According to plan, Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak and wrapped in around him before following Padfoot.

As Harry got his first view of the castle, he felt his heart soar. He loved the castle – it was his home. However, he also felt sick at the site. Hogwarts was now full of students and teachers, and Harry knew that almost every single person in the school believed both him, and the dog beside him, to be dangerous criminals.

Beside him, Padfoot was having similar feelings.

**~~~TB~~~**

"You may go," Snape stated.

Ginny sighed, "Yes sir," before exiting his office. She had finally finished her last detention of the bunch that had been assigned a week before, the same day that Harry and Sirius had been spotted in Hogsmeade. However, since they hadn't been seen again, and they hadn't tried to enter the castle, most people thought that the person who had seen them was mistaken.

Ginny hoped this too.

If not, though, she wondered just what they were doing in Hogsmeade without their disguises.

Grumbling under her breath at the distance between the Potions classroom and the Gryffindor Common Room, Ginny turned a corner and bumped into something.

She had run right into a large black dog that she easily recognized as Padfoot.

"Ginny," a voice whispered, and then Harry appeared from under his cloak.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny hissed, glaring at the pair of them.

Harry glanced down at a piece of parchment in his hand, the Marauder's Map, and then opened the door to an empty classroom, urging Ginny to enter.

Ginny huffed but entered anyway, Padfoot and Harry following.

Once the door was closed, Ginny said, "I repeat, what are you doing here?"

"We're here to convince Remus of our innocence," Sirius proclaimed, now back in human form.

"He won't believe you without proof. Trust me, I've talked to him, well tried to anyway. He's kind of been ignoring me since I first mentioned you guys," Ginny replied.

"We'll make him believe," Sirius stated firmly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Okay, whatever. I'm going to bed," Ginny muttered.

"Why are you up this late anyway? I thought everyone would be asleep," Harry questioned.

"Detention," Ginny answered simply, then turned and left.

Harry and Sirius exchanged a glance, before Sirius turned back into canine form, and Harry disappeared under his cloak.

The two crept along the empty hallways, following the map. They quietly entered the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom and Sirius changed back into human form again.

"Think the door is locked?" he asked Harry as he walked over to the office door.

"Maybe," Harry murmured.

Sirius tried the door and found it open.

"We're in," he stated.

The pair entered Remus' office and glanced around.

"Immaculately clean, of course," Sirius scoffed.

"I thought you said the entry to his private quarters was in his office? There's no doors in here," Harry commented.

"That's because you go through a portrait," Sirius replied, walking over to one of the bigger portraits.

"Password?" the man who was in the portrait asked.

"Hmm…" Sirius paused, thinking of what his old friend might use.

"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," he finally recited.

The man in the portrait nodded and aloud them entrance.

Harry entered to see the room was quite spacious, but only had a couch that was beside a fireplace. There was two doors leading off from the main room.

"He's probably asleep," Harry muttered.

"Possibly. We'll just have to stay here and wait for him to wake up then, won't we?" Sirius said, then he walked over at sat himself down on the couch.

Harry followed.


	15. Belief

**Disclaimer:** See previous chapters.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**A/N - Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. You guys are great!**

**

* * *

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**~~~ Chapter Fourteen ~~~**

Remus couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed for a while, but then gave up and sat up. Climbing out of bed, he decided that if he couldn't sleep, he might as well go work on grading those fourth year essays.

Grabbing his robe and slipping it on, he padded over to the door and left the room, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light that was on in the main room.

Then he stopped. He had turned the light off, he was sure of it.

Looking around the room, Remus froze as he spotted two figures sitting on the couch. He recognised them both instantly. Sirius Black was watching him, his grey eyes sombre. The other figure, Remus had never met, but he knew it must be Harry. He looked almost exactly like James. The boy wasn't watching him, in fact, it seemed as if he hadn't even noticed another person had entered the room. His eyes were focused on the flickering flames of the dying fire.

Remus' eyes flickered back to Black and they stared at each other, waiting for the other person to make the first move.

Remus reached for his wand, but found only an empty pocket. He had left his wand back in his bedroom.

"Remus," Sirius' voice grated out. Harry lifted his head then, and turned to look first at Sirius, and then over at Remus.

Upon seeing the other man, he sat up straighter.

Remus' eyes flickered between the two. They didn't seem to be there to harm him, otherwise they would have done something instead of just stare at him by this point.

"What are you here for?" Remus asked.

Black answered, "We're just here to talk."

Remus highly doubted that. They had taken the trouble to break into Hogwarts just to talk to him? It didn't make sense.

"Do you remember, Remus, how it was before? When there was the four of us? The Marauders," Black started.

Remus frowned. The memories welled up, exactly as Black had been trying to do, he suspected.

As Black was still staring at him, Remus gave a short nod.

"Remember after Hogwarts, when things changed? Life was good. James had married his dream girl and had a son,"

Remus glanced at Harry at this point, but he had gone back to staring into the fire.

"We went over to the Potters' house nearly every evening because Lily was the best cook. You remember that?" Sirius asked.

Remus sighed, but nodded again, wondering just where this was going.

"Then things changed. James and Lily had to go into hiding. They had to choose someone to be their secret keeper. Dumbledore suggested himself, and James wanted me," Sirius went on.

"Why are you telling me all this? I already know," Remus questioned his voiced strained.

"It has a purpose. Just keep listening, will you?" Sirius said, irritated, before continuing.

"James wanted me to be the secret keeper. Lily didn't agree. She wanted you to be the secret keeper. I convinced her otherwise. I thought…I thought you were the traitor."

Remus flinched, and went to protest, but Sirius gave him a pleading look and Remus allowed him to continue.

"You were the only one. It couldn't possibly have been Peter. I don't think Lily really thought you were the traitor, James either, but she finally consented for me to be the secret keeper.

"We told everyone who knew they were going into hiding with the full intent that I would be the secret keeper. The day to set the charm came. Before the charm was set, I came up with a plan. I thought that I was too obvious a choice. Voldemort would suspect that I was the secret keeper. I suggested to James that he should use Peter instead. Nobody would suspect that Peter was the secret keeper.

"James thought it was a good idea and we switched. Only James, Lily, and I knew. It wasn't me that betrayed them. It was Peter."

"You expect me to believe that?" Remus asked.

Sirius reached down to the couch beside him and pulled out a photo album that was very familiar to Remus. It was Harry's album.

After Harry had been sent to Azkaban, Remus had been given all of Harry's stuff, despite never having met him. Dumbledore thought it best that it didn't go to the Dursley's, and Remus was the next guardian in line.

Sirius flipped the album casually and Remus shifted his weight from one leg to the other, impatiently.

He knew that he shouldn't have even allowed Black to tell the story. He should have gotten his wand and sent up an alarm. Some part of him, though, however deep it was hidden, longed for Sirius to be innocent, and Harry too. He couldn't just send up an alarm and perhaps get them caught; so he allowed Black to finish saying what he was trying to say.

Remus looked up again as Black pulled out a photo from the album and held it up. Remus studied the photo and was surprised to see that it was one from their school years. It showed Sirius, James, and Peter in animagus form, crouching behind some bushes, hiding, as Remus talked with Lily.

Remus remembered that day clearly. It had been a plan to get James a date with the ever-elusive Lily. Remus had drawn her out to the grounds where the three were waiting. Once she was alone, Sirius would go up to her as a dog and lead her to where James waited for her, as a stag.

They had discovered, two days previously, that Lily loved deer, and James had fully intended to use that to his benefit.

However, the plan hadn't worked. Lily hadn't followed Sirius. Instead, she had gone in the opposite direction, running away from the dog. They had later found out that Lily was allergic to dogs.

"Do you remember what happened the night that I went to Azkaban?" Sirius asked, still holding up the photo for Remus to see.

"Yes," Remus answered.

"I confronted Peter about his betraying James and Lily. He was hard to find; I had only managed to corner him on a street full of muggles. Before I could do or say anything, Peter started to yell out to the muggles about how I had betrayed James and Lily, and that I was the traitor. He then blew up the street before cutting off his finger and then turning into a rat and scampering away down to the dungeons. I could only stand there and laugh. Me, outwitted by Peter, can you imagine?" Sirius looked wistful.

Remus didn't comment.

"Once I was securely in prison, Peter found someplace to live. He chose a family of wizards. The Weasley's." Sirius then pulled out another photo, holding it up beside the first.

It was a picture of a family of redheads. Remus' eyes zeroed in on the rat that was perched on the youngest boy's shoulder.

He noticed faintly that the rat was missing a toe.

Looking up at Black's eyes, he searched them. In them, he found no trace of the murderer he thought that man was. Instead, he found sincerity and a sense of pleading.

Remus glanced once again at Harry, who was watching Sirius. On closer inspection, he saw that Harry's eyes weren't on Sirius, but on the photo of the redheaded family.

"Remus?" Sirius caught his attention.

Remus turned back to the man he had once called a friend. Maybe, just maybe, this story was possible. Hadn't he hoped that Sirius had always been innocent? Hadn't he hoped that he would have just one of his friends, no brothers, back?

"I believe you," Remus finally replied.

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**A/N - I have writer's block with this story. I have the next two chapters written already so I'll post those soon but after that the story just seems to not want to be written. Maybe reviews will help break down the writer's block?**


	16. Reunion

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, Not now, Not ever.

**The Brotherhood**

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**~~~ Chapter Fifteen ~~~**

Sirius blinked in surprise.

"You do? You believe me that easily?" he asked.

Harry was also staring at Remus in surprise.

Remus felt awkward as the pair of them gaped at him.

"I think I never really thought you were guilty…or at least, I had hoped," Remus murmured, his eyes flickering downward.

Sirius jumped to his feet then. "But this is a good thing! We thought you'd need more proof, so we tried to catch Wormtail, but he left the Weasley house, so we picked up Ginny instead," he told his friend.

Just then, a knock on the door startled them all.

Sirius glanced hurriedly at Harry and then at Remus.

"Hide in my room," Remus suggested.

Both of the escapees rushed in that direction as Remus went over to open the door.

Once sure that the bedroom door was closed, Remus opened the main door to find Ginny standing there. She glanced past him, searching the room for a second before saying, "Did you happen to spot a large black dog around here?"

Remus knew that she was asking, in a way, if Sirius and Harry had come to find him yet.

"Indeed I have," Remus replied.

Ginny looked slightly relieved at his casual reply.

"Are they still here then?" she asked, dropping pretences.

"Yes. They're just hiding," he answered, then pulled the door open wider to allow her entrance.

Ginny entered, feeling slightly awkward at being the quarters of a teacher who had been avoiding her since the start of the school year.

Remus simply closed the door behind her.

As soon as the door closed, the bedroom door opened and Sirius came out, followed by Harry.

"I thought you were going to bed?" Sirius asked.

"I thought I had better come back to make sure you weren't getting yourself killed or something," Ginny smirked, "But, it looks like you did fine without me."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "We can do stuff without your help. We did manage to escape from Azkaban, after all."

"Yes, but you were the one who got yourself in there, in the first place," Ginny retorted.

"What is Harry's story, then?" Remus questioned suddenly. He had been watching the boy and noticed that he was particularly quiet, having not said a single word.

Sirius and Ginny turned to look at him. "You don't think he's innocent?" Sirius asked.

Remus shook his head. "I think he's innocent. I always have. Harry couldn't possibly have done something like that," Remus explained.

Sirius looked at him incredulously. "You didn't believe that I was innocent, but you had known me for over ten years, whereas, you knew Harry was innocent when you hadn't even met him?" he protested.

"Look at the circumstances, Sirius. They are entirely different," Remus pointed out.

Sirius couldn't protest that.

**~~~TB ~~~**

The next week was spent with catching up going on between Remus and Sirius. Remus spent all of his free time in his quarters, and they talked of old times. Ginny continued going to her classes, and Harry tagged along with her, but only because Sirius had insisted he get some kind of education. Of course, Harry was under a disillusionment charm, with his cloak over that, just to make sure he wouldn't be spotted.

Harry avoided Dumbledore completely, because he remembered, from his first year, when he had found the mirror, and Dumbledore had seen through his cloak. He didn't want Dumbledore to figure him out.

However, some things just don't work to his advantage.

Harry walked down the hallway, alone. Ginny was at lunch and Harry was headed back to Remus' quarters, where he would eat. Every day, Remus ordered food from the house elves and then ate in his quarters with the two ex-prisoners. Remus made sure to only allow Dobby in his quarters, because the overexcited house elf was the only one that they were sure wouldn't reveal their presence to Dumbledore. This was proven in how much he still worshiped Harry.

Turning the corner, Harry ran right into someone, and his cloak was knocked off of him. Looking down at who he had run into, he was surprised to see Hermione, on the ground. She was staring at him, horror on her face, and he belated realized that he had forgotten to put on the disillusionment charm that morning.

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into an empty classroom nearby. She had stumbled away from him as soon as possible, and was watching him from across the room.

For a moment they both just stared, then Hermione whispered, "What are you doing here?"

Harry frowned as he heard the fear in his voice.

"Are you here to kill me?" she questioned.

"Why would I kill you?" he asked.

"I don't know. You already murdered one of your so called friends," she retorted.

Harry winced, as he did every time someone mentioned Ron.

"I didn't," Harry pleaded.

Hermione shook her head. She would not be easily convinced.

Harry knew that it was unlikely that Hermione would ever believe his innocence. He knew that she had loved Ron, even if Ron hadn't quite admitted to loving her back. She would never forgive him for supposedly killing him.

"Why did you bring me in her then?" Hermione questioned.

"You saw me. I can't just let you leave. I know you'll tell someone," Harry replied.

"So then what are you going to do?" Hermione asked, her voice quiet.

"I don't know," Harry murmured. Hermione narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

Harry wished that he knew a memory charm, but it was only Sirius who knew those, and he had never thought to ask Sirius how to do them.

"So you're just going to keep me in here forever?" she asked, glaring.

Harry sighed. "No, you can go," then he stepped away from the doorway.

Hermione looked startled.

"You'll let me go even though I'll tell?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded tightly.

Hermione's gaze softened slightly, and she looked at him, considering, but it only lasted a second, and her glare was back.

The girl walked around the room, toward the doorway, which Harry willingly moved further away from, to allow her to pass.

At the doorway, Hermione paused and looked back at him.

"Why?" she asked softly, her wide eyes studying him.

Harry shrugged. "You're smart, figure it out."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and then hurried from the room.

As soon as Hermione was gone, Harry wrapped the invisibility cloak around him and rushed from the room. He broke out into a full out run as he went toward Remus' quarters. He had to warn Sirius and they had to get out of there immediately.


	17. Confusion

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**~~~ Chapter Sixteen ~~~**

Harry burst into Remus' quarters and looked around desperately, ripping the cloak off of himself. Sirius looked up from where he was sitting on the couch and Remus stood quickly, looking alarmed.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, seeing Harry's panicked face.

"Hermione knows. I think she's going to tell Dumbledore. We have to get out of here," Harry hurriedly rushed out.

"How did she find out?" a voice came from behind him. Harry turned to see Ginny standing there, in the open doorway.

"I ran into her, and the cloak fell off. She rushed off before I could anything," Harry changed the story slightly, not wanting them to know that he had let her go.

Ginny closed the door behind her with a sharp click. "What's the fastest way to get out?" she asked.

"This fireplace is connected to my fireplace at my house, so I can go there for the full moon. You can go there," Remus suggested.

"Good idea," Sirius stated, climbing to his feet.

"But wait, what will Remus tell Dumbledore?" Ginny asked.

The three men exchanged glances, wearily. "I'll think of something," Remus finally replied.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "They came to get me. You just happened to be in the way," Ginny announced.

"Fine, now go," Remus agreed.

The three of them went to the fireplace and left the school by floo.

Arriving at Remus' house, Sirius said, "Dumbledore might check here too."

"I don't think he will," Ginny said, "Remus was freaked out about you guys before he knew you were innocent. I don't think anyone would believe that he was harboring you two…unless you told Hermione," Ginny turned to Harry.

"No. She has no idea what I was doing there, only that I was there," Harry answered, taking a seat on the couch.

Sirius and Ginny followed his example.

**~~~TB~~~**

There was two days of Sirius, Harry, and Ginny waiting in Remus' home before they received word from him.

It was a short, handwritten note. Sirius read it and then handed it to Harry with a confused look. He read it out loud.

_My friends,_

_There comes a time that every correspondence must end, and I am sad to say that the time for us has past. thus, I Solemnly say a saddened farewell. There are things I once said I would Swear to, but That must end also. I can not abide by those rules. Who Am I to change things, you ask? It is not Up to me to decide. It is for another to decide which path I am to take now. No, this is not goodbye forever; hardly. In fact, I think that there are many Good years still to come between us, but not now, an possibly not for a very long time._

_I wish you the best, _

_Remus J. Lupin _

"It's so formal," Ginny commented.

"Not to mention confusing and uninformative," Harry added.

"It doesn't make sense," Sirius muttered, pacing as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Let me see it," Ginny requested.

Harry willingly handed it over.

After reading the letter over, Ginny asked, "What is with all these capitalized words?"

Sirius looked up suddenly at that. "Give me it," he said, then took it out of her hands.

He looked over the letter once more and then grinned.

"Good old Moony," he murmured, " The capitalized words are the code."

Grabbing his wand, Sirius pointed it at the letter, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

They all watched as the words faded away and different words spread across the page.

"Here's the real message," Sirius declared, then read the letter.

_Padfoot, Harry, and Ginny,_

_I had hoped Sirius would remember this old way of communication that us Marauders used to use. Dumbledore showed up only a few minutes after you left, Miss Granger with him. Fortunately, he is a reasonable man, and allowed me to explain. I told them what you had told me, but I don't know if they believed it or not. Right as I finished, several aurors came in. Evidently, Miss Granger had informed the ministry as well._

_Dumbledore prevented them from arresting me on the spot, and instead, I am on probation. All my letters are checked before they are sent out or before I can receive them. I also lost my job as the Defense teacher, but Dumbledore said I was to stay and teach until he found another teacher to take my place. _

_I don't know how much I can help you in circumstances. You can stay in my house as long as necessary. There is other help though._

_You remember Tonks, right Harry? And yes, Sirius, I'm talking about little Dora, your cousin. She was one of the aurors who came for me, and since I have previous connections with her, I managed to convince her of the truth. She said she'd go over there to help out as soon as she can, without attracting suspicion. It'll be good to have an auror on your side._

_Don't write me back whatever you do._

_~Moony_

"I can't believe Dora is an auror," Sirius muttered.

"Yeah, she is in the Order," Ginny said.

"Is that what Moony meant by 'previous connections'?" Sirius asked.

"Probably," Ginny replied.

"I wonder if Hermione believes the truth. Remus did say she heard it," Harry mused.

"Knowing her, I suspect she rushed right to the library to see what she could find out about everything, to see if it was even possible. Hopefully, her common sense will win out," Ginny remarked.

"Hopefully," Harry repeated.

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**A/N - Thanks for all the reviews the last chapter, but please continue on this chapter. Reviewing helps me write faster and better.**


	18. Gathering

**Disclaimer:** Not mine...although, I wish Tonks was mine. She's my favorite!

**The Brotherhood**

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**~~~ Chapter Seventeen ~~~**

"Didn't Remus say that she'd come to us?" Harry questioned.

"Not really. He just mentioned Dora. Since she isn't coming to us, we're going to go to her," Sirius answered.

"But in the Ministry of Magic, Sirius? This plan is not going to work," Harry protested.

Sirius sighed. "Fine. Stay here then."

Harry immediately climbed to his feet. "I'm not going to let you and Ginny break into the Ministry without me!"

"Then come, will you?" Ginny joined the conversation.

"You have your cloak?" Sirius asked. He was in what he called his 'auror' mode now, from when he had been an auror before being sent to Azkaban.

"Always," Harry replied reluctantly.

"Good," Sirius murmured. He turned to Ginny and put a glamour charm on her, changing her appearance to the one she had used before in Diagon Alley.

Harry stepped forward and allowed Sirius to put a charm on him too.

Placing a final charm on himself, Sirius turned to the fireplace. "Let's go,"

Sirius flooed to the Ministry first followed by Harry and then Ginny.

The Ministry was its usual busy place and Harry felt anxious as they walked casually through the crowd, acting as if they belonged there. Harry had to admit, it seemed to work. Nobody gave a second glance.

Still, as the trio entered an empty elevator, Harry couldn't help but let out a breath of relief.

On the next floor, the doors opened again and a very familiar person entered.

Ginny tensed up as Arthur Weasley greeted them. "Good morning,"

"Morning," Sirius returned casting a casual glance at his companions.

"You don't work here, do you?" Arthur asked, studying them.

"I work in the auror department. This is my niece and nephew. It's 'bring your kids to work' day in the department," Sirius stated, his voice completely calm.

Harry marvelled at how good of a liar he was.

"Really? I had no idea. Oh, here's my stop. See you later," Arthur left as the doors slid open.

Ginny let out a breath and closed her eyes in relief as the doors closed again, leaving the three of them momentarily alone.

"Bring you kids to work day?" Harry repeated incredulously.

"He believed it, didn't he?" Sirius retorted.

"Yea, but what happens when he starts realising that nobody else brought their kids?"

"By that time, we'll be long gone," Sirius answered.

"Maybe," Harry muttered under his breath.

The doors slid open once again, this time to the auror department and the three of them exited.

Sirius walked up to the front desk and asked, "Excuse me, can you tell me where Auror Tonks' office is?"

"Right around the corner, third door on the left," the receptionist answered in a dull voice. "Should I inform her you're coming?"

"That won't be necessary. She's expecting us," Sirius answered before walking away from the desk, and going around the corner. Harry and Ginny followed.

Coming to the door that the receptionist had said, Sirius knocked once softly before opening the door. As the three entered the room and closed the door behind them, Tonks looked up, watching them carefully.

"Do I know you?" she asked, reaching for her wand.

"I'm sure you do. I believe our little wolfy friend mentioned us coming?" Sirius replied.

Tonks' eyes widened almost comically.

She sent a spell at the door, locking it and making it soundproof before she went any further.

Sirius, seeing this as a sign, discarded his glamour charm and Harry and Ginny followed suit.

Tonks studied them. "So you're it then, the Trio of Traitors?" she asked.

"Is that what they call us now?" Ginny murmured.

"Of course it's us, cousin. Who else would break into the Ministry with only a glamour charm or two for protection?" Sirius answered.

"Only you, obviously. I wasn't expecting you here. I thought you'd come to my home," Tonks stated.

"Seeing as I have no idea where you live, that was a problem," Sirius told her.

"Remus could've told you. He knows," Tonks commented.

"Why would Remus know? I thought you didn't know each other very much?" Ginny asked.

Tonks gave her a strange look. "Didn't he tell you? We've been dating for nearly three months now," she answered.

Sirius' eyes widened in shock.

Harry smiled, "That would explain those 'previous connections' he mentioned."

"Previous connections? That's it? I'm going to have to have a word with that man," Tonks nearly growled.

Sirius chuckled.

A sudden knock on the door made them all freeze. Tonks gave them a sharp look and Sirius replaced the glamour charms in a hurry as Tonks took down the silencing charms and unlocked the door.

"Tonks, Moody wishes to speak to you. Something about…who are you?" the auror who was at the door asked, eyeing the three who were standing on the far side of the room.

"They're friends of mine. They were just leaving," Tonks explained before quickly scribbling down something on a piece of loose parchment and handing it to Sirius. "I'll see you guys tomorrow at three, alright?"

"Of course," Sirius replied, winking. He strode past the auror with a slight incline of his head, Ginny and Harry following.

Harry had tensed up once again. In the relaxed office of Tonks, he had almost forgotten that they were deep in enemy territory.

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**A/N - Yay, Dora is now in the story. Review and let me know what you think. I've noticed that the number of reviews were up but then each chapter I've gotten less and less and less making me down around 4 or 5 reviews a chapter. Wouldn't it be cool if every single person who read it gave a review? That's like 450 reviews! Even if it's just a few words of encouragement to post fast, I still appreciate them.**


	19. Search

**Disclaimer: **If Harry Potter were mine, it would've been a LOT different.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**A/N - I've had a cold the past few days so sorry if my writing is not up to my usual standard...

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**~~~ Chapter Eighteen ~~~**

Harry looked around at the small group that sat around Remus' table. Remus and Tonks were talking about something happening in the Ministry while Sirius listened on with slight interest. Ginny was slowly stirring her soup absentmindedly. She was staring at the far wall and Harry could tell that she wasn't paying attention to anything going on around her at the moment.

It felt nice, Harry decided, to be surrounded by friends. Starting out with only Sirius had been almost depressing. They had been alone in the world. Now, there were three other people who believed in them. Harry wished there could be someone else there though.

Hermione had been his best friend. Only Ron had been closer to him, yet both were gone now. Ron was gone, in the most permanent sense, and Harry felt a lot of pain about his death. However, Harry thought, if Hermione was still at his side, the pain would maybe go away faster.

Azkaban had only amplified his pain for his deceased friend, not to mention brought forth many other painful things. Sirius had helped, although he wasn't much of a conversationalist and Harry didn't really want to discuss his pain with anyone at that table. Hermione would be the best choice to talk to, and he couldn't talk with her.

"Harry," Sirius' voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Harry looked up. "Hmm?"

"Remus is going to take Dora home and I'm going out to search again. You want to come with me, or stay?" Sirius asked.

Sirius was, of course, referring to the search for Wormtail. Every day now Sirius went out and searched in any place he could think of. Sometimes, Remus went with him, since he had left Hogwarts now.

"I'd rather stay," Harry answered softly. He just wasn't in the mood to be searching for a rat.

"I'll stay too," Ginny answered as Sirius looked at her.

"Alright then," Sirius stood from the table, Remus and Tonks following him.

Within moments, the house was empty except for Ginny and Harry.

Ginny pushed her bowl of soup away, bored. "You know? I thought that being on the run with a pair of criminals might be exciting," she complained.

"No, instead it just made you an outlaw too," Harry replied, "Actually, though, I'm surprised we've been able to stay in one place so long. Before we gained Remus' help, we didn't stay anyplace longer than one night, sometimes less. Besides Grimmauld Place, of course. We could've stayed there longer, I suppose, but Sirius really hated it."

"Because he hated his family?" Ginny questioned softly.

"More because he hates the memories associated with his family. Anyway, he doesn't consider them his family anymore. That's what Remus is now. His real family."

"You are too, you know," Ginny added.

Harry paused, "I know."

**~~~ TB ~~~**

Sirius padded along the quiet street in dog form sniffing the air tentatively every so often in search of the scent that he was looking for.

He was in London, on the street where Pettigrew had lived once. There were many places he had lived, since he moved almost once every three months. He hadn't been able to settle anywhere, likely because the job he claimed to have was non-existent.

Snuffling slightly, Sirius paused in front of the old looking house that was there. It looked like it had been abandoned for quite a while. Sirius knew that this was the house that Pettigrew had been living in later on, shortly before he became secret keeper. At this point, they were all keeping their distance from each other in fear of betrayal. Sirius didn't remember ever visiting Pettigrew here and he didn't think or Remus did either.

Wondering if Wormtail had ever actually lived in the building, or if he just said he had, Sirius made his way through the overgrown front yard and to the porch.

The porch creaked as Sirius stepped up onto it and he held his breath as he crossed it. Even in dog form, he seemed heavy enough to break right through the porch.

Testing the door, Sirius was surprised that it was unlocked, and even more, unlatched. He easily pushed it open with his paw and entered.

Dust covered everything in sight. Holding back a sneeze, Sirius ducked out of sight of the open doorway before transforming back into his two-legged self.

Shutting the front door, Sirius gazed around the house.

There was no furniture of any kind. The floors and walls were bare.

The house was small. He stood in a large open room that he supposed would probably be a living room. The kitchen, empty of anything except cupboards, was off to the left side and a door that Sirius guessed was a bathroom was off to the right.

A staircase, leading upstairs, was on the far side of the room.

Sensing that this house was a lost cause in the finding of his one time friend, Sirius turned to leave. A long creak from upstairs made him pause in mid step.

He listened carefully but heard nothing else. With a small huff, Sirius decided to investigate anyway and went across the room and up the stairs.

The upstairs was just one long hall with two doors leading off on both sides of the hall. Opening the first door on the right, Sirius discovered an empty room.

The first room on the left was exactly the same, as was the third room he checked.

It wasn't until he reached the very last room in the hallway that he found something different. The room was just like the others, bare. However, this one had a dark stain in the carpet and the walls were splattered with something Sirius recognised as blood.

Feeling sick, Sirius backed out of the room in a hurry.

Now he knew what it was abandoned. Nobody had wanted to buy it with that there, or at least the story that went with it.

Turning, Sirius hurried out of the house. It was giving him the creeps, and that was saying something coming from a man who had spent time in Azkaban.


	20. Abduction

**Disclaimer:** Not mine, I'm just playing with the characters.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Please note that I have state testing Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and afterwards I'll be too exhausted to write, so the next chapter may be coming out later than usual. However, reviews may just help me perk up after the torturous test taking and help me write faster. And yes, this is plea for reviews.

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**~~~ Chapter Nineteen ~~~**

Harry was sitting alone when Remus entered the room after taking Tonks home. He had a book open on his lap and was staring intently at the page, looking deep in thought rather than actually reading.

"You're still up?" Remus questioned.

Harry jerked out of his thoughts and looked up, slightly confused, "What time is it?"

"Midnight," Remus replied.

Harry nodded, then looked back at Remus, "And you're just getting back from dropping Tonks off?"

Remus blushed, "She wanted some alone time,"

Harry smirked.

Remus changed the subject. "Where's Ginny and Sirius?"

"Sirius is still out, somewhere, and Ginny went up to bed shortly after you left," Harry replied, closing his book.

"What were you reading?" Remus asked, he felt slightly awkward, standing there trying to make conversation with a boy he barely knew. The week he had spent with Harry at Hogwarts and the few days he had spent here, Harry was quiet and Remus hadn't been able to know him at all.

"The Marauder's Guide to Mischief Making," Harry answered softly.

Remus smiled and finally took a seat on the couch by Harry.

"Did Sirius tell you the history of that book?" he asked.

"No," Harry replied.

"It was your dad's idea. He said we should leave a legacy behind. The Map was also his idea. We were going to plant the book in the library the day before we left Hogwarts on our seventh year, so that future students could find it. Of course, it never happened," Remus informed him.

"Why didn't it?" Harry questioned, looking over at the older man.

Remus sighed. "The weekend before, James' parents died in an attack. He left the school early to go to their funeral and all our plans, including a huge prank at the end of year feast, were forgotten and discarded."

"Who did he live with?" Harry asked, "I thought I didn't have any relatives,"

"You don't. Besides the Dursleys anyway. James lived with his uncle, his mother's brother, for a month or so after school ended, then he moved into an apartment with Sirius. Shortly after that, his uncle was killed. James started going into a depression at that point, thinking that anyone close to him would be killed. He was very close to right. Voldemort had something against Potters, and still does, really," Remus explained.

Harry frowned. During his months on the run after his escape, he hadn't really thought much about Voldemort, although he knew he must be around somewhere. Remus was apparently still going to Order meetings, as was Tonks, but that was all he knew.

"What is going on with Voldemort right now?" Harry asked.

"Not much. Since your escape, he's been rather quiet. We fear that he's planning something, but we don't know what."

The door slammed open right then and Sirius stumbled in. He was drenched from head to foot and had a great scowl on his face.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked as Remus stood.

"I fell in a lake," Sirius answered.

"What were you doing near a lake?" Remus asked, giving Sirius an incredulous look.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sirius grumbled, then stormed upstairs, splashing water everywhere as he went.

Remus retrieved his wand to clean up the mess and Harry followed his godfather upstairs, hoping to gain some information on what had happened.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry and Ginny were once again alone in Remus' house. Remus and Tonks were at an Order meeting and Sirius was out searching again.

Harry sat on the couch, thumbing through one of Remus' old school books – Sirius had once again tried to reinforce the home schooling thing. Ginny sat across from him, reading another schoolbook. She was actually concentrating on the book though.

A sudden noise from outside made them both look up in alarm.

"What was that?" Ginny questioned.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good," Harry answered, standing and heading toward a window to look out. He didn't get far, however, before the door was blasted open and four deatheaters entered the house.

Harry stumbled backwards in alarm, wishing that they hadn't neglected to get him a wand. From behind him, he heard Ginny swear as well, glancing at her, he saw that saw was wandless as well. She had left her wand upstairs.

Harry dove behind the sofa and the deatheaters started throwing curses. He heard a shriek as Ginny was stunned and fell to the floor.

It only took moments before Harry's hiding place was destroyed. Without a wand, he was helpless.

His vision faded into darkness as he was stunned.

**~~~TB~~~**

Tonks stumbled through the fireplace and nearly tripped over a nearby lamppost. She caught herself, if only barely, and stared at the lamppost in confusion. Remus had learned not to leave anything anywhere near the fireplace, for her sake.

Looking around the rest of the room, she gasped. It was a complete disaster zone. The couches were overturned and there were burns on the walls, plus rubble scattered around the room.

Remus, having come out of the floo behind Tonks stopped in shock.

"It's just like when the ministry…" he paused in horror. "Oh no, please not have been the ministry," he pleaded quietly, striding past Tonks further into the room.

"Harry! Ginny!" Remus called out, hoping for a reply.

There wasn't one.

"It wasn't the ministry," Tonks said suddenly. She had crossed the room and was standing in the torn up doorway.

Remus turned to look at her and she showed him a piece of parchment that had been attached to the door.

"Who was it, then?" Remus questioned, wading through the mess.

"It was Voldemort," Tonks replied softly, staring at the note. On it was displayed the Dark Mark with the words "Courtesy of the Dark Lord Voldemort" written in bright green lettering.


	21. Proof

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**The Brotherhood**

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**A/N - I just posted my first Twilight fic. I'd much appreciate it if any Twilight fans reading this could go read it and give me feedback. No worries, it's only a oneshot, so it won't interfere with the posting of this story.**

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty ~~~**

Sirius stood in the doorway of Remus' house in shock. He had arrived home shortly after Remus and Tonks and had been horrified to hear that Voldemort had attacked while they had all been gone.

Remus and Tonks were busy cleaning up the house but Sirius was too busy mourning the loss of his Godson to help.

"Can't you do something? Contact the Order or the ministry?" Sirius asked suddenly.

Remus glanced over at him before answering, "No, Sirius. Both sides are hunting for you, Harry, and Ginny right now. For all the know, you guys are with Voldemort right now, and probably helped in the attack. We'll just have to deal with this on our own."

Sirius finally came in further and dropped down onto the newly fixed couch. "Harry's my life. I can't just leave him in Voldemort's hands," Sirius stated, his head dropping into his hands in despair.

Tonks paused in her cleaning and came to stand before her cousin, "Sirius, Harry is strong and he has Ginny with him. If anyone can escape from Voldemort, they can. It'll all turn out alright."

**~~~TB~~~**

Hermione stared into the distance forlornly. She had discovered, in her searching of the library that Sirius Black had not received a trial before he was sent to Azkaban. Thinking back to Harry's trial, she realised that the same thing had occurred - no trial.

In both cases, they had been sent away because both had concrete evidence that they had done the crime. However, as Hermione had looked into Black's crime, she had discovered that there was no real proof. The only thing that the Ministry had to go on was that he had been at the scene of the crime, which could just be plain old bad luck. From being found there, he had been convicted as Voldemort's top deatheater, his right-hand man.

Hermione just didn't see the sense in it.

Then her investigation had turned to Harry. His crime had a little more evidence to go with it. Harry and Ron had gone down to Hogsmeade on Hogsmeade weekend. Hermione and Ginny were with them as they all walked along. Harry, Ron, and Ginny went into the quidditch shop while Hermione visited the book store. Next thing she knows, people are shouting about Harry murdering Ron and he is taken away. Ginny was gravely injured and quickly taken to St. Mungos.

Harry had pleaded innocence, but the proof was on his wand. He had committed the crime.

Still, something seemed off. Harry wasn't the type to just murder his best friend. Ginny had been upset when she woke up and discovered him in Azkaban. She was the only witness. The only thing other people had seen was Harry standing over Ron's dead body, with Ginny lying nearby, unconscious and hurt.

Even as Hermione thought about it, she realised that the evidence on Harry's case was pretty iffy too. If only one of them had received a trial, maybe more evidence would have been brought forward...or they would have been proven innocent.

Hermione shook her head to clear the thought. They weren't innocent. The Ministry didn't put innocent people away in Azkaban. It had to be something else.

**~~~TB~~~**

Bellatrix stood in the exact centre of her cell. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the salty air coming in from the window. She could sense something different. Something was happening that would change everything.

Bellatrix cackled. She knew her Lord was back, the Potter boy had told her awful cousin that much.

She was loyal, maybe even the loyalist of them all! He would come for her, she knew. He would come for her soon, and she would be here, waiting for him, having spent her time in Azkaban for him, her loyalty never wavering.

She would escape soon, and she would be back with her Lord.

**~~~TB~~~**

Dumbledore gazed at the small metal gadget which had been hidden away behind several others for some time now. It had been a monitor for Harry. There was a small crystal and inside it was dust. When that dust was white, it meant that Harry was safe. When the dust was black, it meant that he was hurt. When the dust was green, it meant that Harry was in trouble. Lastly, if the dust was red, it meant that Harry was in mortal peril.

When Harry had been sent to Azkaban, the dust had changed to black, and stayed there until he had escaped, then it turned back to its original colour of white. It had stayed there for a long while but had suddenly turned red earlier.

Dumbledore hadn't noticed it at first, since he had discarded it at the back of his gadgets, but then the red light had caught his attention.

Dumbledore wondered what the red light meant. Before, when it had turned red, it had been with encounters with Voldemort.

Dumbledore knew, despite what the ministry thought Harry had done, that Harry was not a deatheater, nor would he ever kill a friend like he supposedly did. He had been saddened when the boy had been sent to Azkaban, but even he couldn't interfere with it.

Now, the dust in the crystal was red and Dumbledore was worried once again about Harry Potter. He suspected that the 'mortal peril' Harry was in had something to do with the Ministry, once again.

They were proving to be a thorn in his side.

Dumbledore stood then. He knew that Sirius and Harry had been staying with Remus, and he had kept the Ministry away. Perhaps, though, it was time to let them know he knew they were there, and check in on his one-time hero.

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**A/N - Reviews make me post faster.**


	22. Interrogation

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**A/N - Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy and completely forgot about posting a new chapter. I suddenly realized yesterday that I hadn't posted in awhile, but was traveling all day yesterday so couldn't post. I'm in Montana right now and might not get the chance to write very much. Next week, though, I have a full week off of school so I'll try to post an extra chapter or two.

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-one ~~~**

Harry groaned lightly as he felt himself come back to consciousness. He was decidedly sore and didn't want to move. However, the damp stone which he lay on was highly uncomfortable and so he made an effort to open his eyes.

From his position on the ground, he could see he was in some sort of cell. Three walls were made of the same stone as the ground and the forth was a wall of bars.

A glimpse of red caught his eye and he turned to see Ginny lying there beside him, unconscious still.

Sitting up, carefully, he tried to remember back to what had happened. Deatheaters had come to Remus' home and taken them.

Harry frowned as he thought about how Sirius would react. He had become very close to his Godfather since the time they had met, and they hadn't been apart for more than a few hours before. Sirius would be panicking, he knew. Actually, Tonks and Remus would probably be panicking as well.

"Where are we?" Ginny's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

He looked at her to see that she was now sitting up against one of the walls, studying their cell.

"No idea, other than being held by deatheaters," Harry replied.

For a moment their eyes met and Harry could see the fear in her eyes. Although Harry feared too, he was more worried about how everyone would react to them being captured, and what the deatheaters would do to Ginny.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus on his sofa, across from Dumbledore. Tonks was beside Remus and Sirius was in the other room, hiding.

"Remus, I must ask you something," Dumbledore started.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Do you know where Sirius Black and Harry Potter are?" Dumbledore questioned.

Remus paused. He knew that he could trust Dumbledore, and the headmaster probably already suspected that the two fugitives had been living with him. However, he didn't want to give anything away.

Remus must have hesitated long enough, because Dumbledore said, "I must know where Harry is, for his own safety."

Remus shook his head. "I don't know where he is."

"But you've communicated with him. Where has he been?"

Remus sighed. "He's been staying with me, but he's gone now," he answered. He didn't want Dumbledore to suspect anything worse of Harry, and thus didn't tell him he had disappeared with Voldemort.

"He left or was taken?" Dumbledore asked.

"He was taken, I believe," Remus answered.

"By whom? The ministry? Or was it Voldemort?"

Remus didn't reply, but Tonks dug into her pocket and pulled out the note they had found on the door. "This was pinned to the door when we arrived here."

She handed the note to Dumbledore and he looked at it with grave eyes.

"Harry is in grave danger," Dumbledore stated.

Remus gazed at him in surprise and Dumbledore answered his unasked question. "No Remus, I do not believe Harry is on Voldemort's side, nor do I believe he is guilty of the crimes for which he was persecuted. I believe the same with Sirius Black, which means you can come out," Dumbledore's voice raised slightly at the end.

Sirius, who had obviously been eavesdropping on the conversation slouched into the room and stood behind Remus and Tonks, his face blank.

Remus looked up at him and frowned. His friend had been very emotionless since Harry left, and Remus was concerned. He knew that Harry was everything to Sirius, and now he was gone.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry didn't know how long he had been sitting in the cell with Ginny. He figured that it had to be more than twenty-four hours, but he couldn't be sure. He hadn't seen anyone yet, much less Voldemort, and he wondered why they had been taken if they weren't going to do anything with him.

So when footsteps echoed through the hallway in which the cell was situated, Harry looked up, startled.

Beside him, Ginny looked up as well, looking nervous.

After a few moments, a pair of masked deatheaters appeared on the other side of the bars and gazed down at the two prisoners. Ginny shrank back from them but Harry glared back reproachfully.

"The Dark Lord requests your presence," one of the deatheaters said. Harry thought the voice sounded familiar and wondered just who it was.

The cell door was opened and Harry was pulled to his feet and out of the cell. Harry allowed them to take him with very little struggling. There was no point until he knew what Voldemort wanted him for, why make his situation worse than it had to be?

Glancing back in the cell, Harry saw Ginny, looking panicked. She obviously didn't want to be left alone there.

This was a strange circumstance, because as far as Harry remembered, Ginny had always been confident, never worrying or fearing too much.

Harry was taken down the hallway and through so many doors and hallways that he knew he would never be able to find his way back alone. Wherever he was, it was a maze.

Entering yet another room, Harry knew it would be his last destination. Deatheaters were gathered at the edges of the room, watching him eagerly. On the far side of the room, sitting on a throne, was Voldemort.

Harry clenched his teeth to try and contain the pain that came from his scar.

"Welcome, Harry Potter," the snakelike wizard murmured, his voice smooth.

Harry glared at the wizard in response and Voldemort smirked.

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**A/N - Ooh, what's going to happen now? I don't even know at the moment besides a vague idea...reviews will help get the ideas flowing and make me write faster. **


	23. Betrayal

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter.

**The Brotherhood**

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**A/N - Only three reviews last chapter? That's disappointing. However, I have to say thanks to DracoMalfoy4Ever and DukeBrymin for reviewing consistently every chapter. You both are big inspirations. This chapter is dedicated to both of you.**

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-two ~~~**

"He offered what?" Ginny cried out in dismay.

Harry sighed and rubbed at his eyes wearily. "To join him and be his heir," he repeated.

He had returned only twenty minutes after he had been taken from the cell, completely unharmed, but a little bemused. He had explained that Voldemort had just wanted to talk, to offer him a position as his second in command.

"What are you going to do about it?" Ginny asked softly, watching Harry.

Harry frowned. "I don't know. I think…I think I could use this to my advantage. I could get him to let you go if I accepted," Harry murmured.

"You're actually considering this? Joining Voldemort? I thought you would never join him!" Ginny protested.

Harry glanced at her. "I wouldn't really be working for him. I'd be working as a spy. I could bring him down from the inside, without his suspecting a thing," Harry explained.

Ginny stared at him incredulously. "You seriously think that would work? What happens when Voldemort finds out – and he will find out – that you are trying to destroy him? He will kill you!"

"Maybe he will, but at least you'll be able to be free and warn Sirius and Remus," Harry replied.

Ginny stared at Harry before shaking her head. "I can't let you do it," she insisted.

Harry drew in a breath. "I have to,"

Ginny closed her eyes, "I don't want to loose you, Harry. Everyone says that it was just a crush, but I think it's more. Harry, I think I love you!"

As she said the last words, her eyes opened and her brown eyes met intense green.

Harry stared at Ginny before softly replying, "I…I love you too, Ginny. That's the reason I have to do this. It's for you, and my family. It's the best chance we'll have to defeat him."

Ginny let out a sob and threw her arms around Harry. "I can't live without you, Harry," she whispered.

**~~~TB~~~**

When a pair of deatheaters came to collect Harry for him to give Voldemort his decision, they found Ginny and Harry wrapped in each other's arms, both of them sleeping.

The two men exchanged a glance before opening the cell with a slam, awakening both of the prisoners.

"Be safe, Harry," Ginny whispered as the deatheaters pulled Harry up and away from her. Harry nodded at her, before allowing the deatheaters to take him away from her.

Ginny stared after him, silently pleading with anyone who would listen that his plan would work. They had talked through it in detail, trying to come up with something that would work without getting him killed. In the end, they had agreed on a plan that neither of them really liked.

Ginny felt very uneasy about the plan. It included a lot of deceiving people on both hers and Harry's side. She wished that there was a better way.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius sat alone on Remus' sofa, staring blankly into the fire. Remus and Tonks were at an Order meeting, which were happening more frequently since Harry had been captured. Of course, Dumbledore hadn't revealed that they were searching more for Voldemort for Harry's sake. The Order still believed Sirius and Harry were both guilty, and it would stay that way until some proof was given.

Unfortunately, that proof was with Peter Pettigrew, and not even the spies within Voldemort's troops had seen him around. For all their luck, Voldemort had killed off Pettigrew, and Sirius would never have a chance at freedom.

A sudden knock on the door made Sirius look up. A crease of worry crossed his face. Every person who would visit this place was at the Order meeting. Unless it was Harry.

Sirius jumped up and rushed to the door before throwing it open.

At first, he didn't see anyone, but then a soft groan made him look down. There was Ginny, unconscious, lying on the doorstep.

Crouching down, Sirius checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one that was steady.

Scooping the girl into his arms, he took her into the house and set her on the couch where he had been previously sitting.

Taking out his wand, Sirius murmured a soft spell and she woke abruptly, her eyes going wide with alarm as she looked around. Then her eyes fell on Sirius and stared at him in bewilderment before bursting into tears.

Sirius was never very good at handling weeping girls, but he carefully wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug to comfort her. Obviously, she had been through something traumatic, but why she had been returned, and not Harry, Sirius had no idea.

When Ginny finally calmed down and pulled away, she seemed embarrassed. However, Sirius needed answers.

"What happened? Where's Harry? Is he all right?" he asked in quick succession.

Ginny shook her head. "No. No," she insisted, pulling away farther from him.

Sirius stared at her. She was in shock, it seemed.

"Sirius!" a voice called. Sirius stood up as Remus entered, followed by Tonks. Both abruptly stopped as they saw Ginny on the couch. She glanced over at them, sorrow filling her face.

"Ginny! You're back? What happened? Where's Harry?" Remus asked, rushing over to her.

Ginny closed her eyes. "He was too convincing. Harry stayed, but convinced him to let me go. Harry joined Voldemort!" Ginny proclaimed, the tears falling again.

A silence fell as Sirius, Remus, and Tonks all stared at Ginny in shock.

"But he would never…" Sirius started to protest.

"You think I want to believe it any more than you? I saw it! He took the Dark Mark! He willingly joined Voldemort!" Ginny nearly screamed at them. Her voice lowered to a near whisper, "And all this time I thought he was innocent."

Sirius and Remus exchanged devastated glances. They didn't want to believe that Harry would join Voldemort, but why else would Ginny be so distressed?

Ginny buried her face in her hands and sobbed some more. The other three didn't comfort her, they were too busy trying to come to terms with it themselves.

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**A/N - Yes, I know, this chapters skips around and probably excludes several scenes that you would have rather read, but it was a difficult chapter because I'm not very good at writing Voldemort. It was this now or including the other scenes but having it posted way later. I may include flashbacks or something that do show the missing scenes later in the story however.**


	24. Return

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**A/N - Happy Easter everyone! Hope you got lots and lots of chocolate and jelly beans! ;) **

**Also, I am doing Script Frenzy all during April, but it isn't as exhaustingly difficult as NaNoWriMo, so I'll continue working on this story, but the chapters may come a little less often. Oh, and you might like to know that for Script Frenzy I'm writing a screenplay of this fanfiction. Of course, the script won't be complete until this fanfic is complete, but it is long enough right now that I can get 100 pages of script out of it and that is the goal.**

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-three ~~~**

Harry looked around the room which had been provided for him when he had agreed to become a deatheater. Most of the people in the room who had witnessed it had been shocked, including Voldemort himself

Ginny was a good actor, Harry had to admit. It had seemed like she hadn't known he was going to make this choice, but then again, it was all part of the plan. No one could know the truth.

Harry took a quick shower and changed into a clean pair of clothes, which had been provided for him.

As he walked across the fairly large room to the bed, he rubbed his left arm. It was still very sore from the Dark Mark which had been placed on it, and he didn't like it at all. It made him feel dirty.

Wondering how Ginny was fairing with her part of the charade, Harry took off his glasses and sunk into the comfortable bed. He was weary of sleeping in Lord Voldemort's lair, but he supposed that this was the way things were now. He was officially a servant of the Dark Lord Voldemort.

**~~~TB~~~**

Dumbledore stared at Remus in shock and surprise present on his face. "He turned?" he asked softly.

Remus nodded, his expression pained. Beside him, Tonks covered her face with her hands, her hair turning a dull blue in her depression.

The usual twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes was very absent as he gazed upon the despairing couple.

"How is Sirius taking it?" Dumbledore asked.

Remus shook his head. "He's locked himself in his room, not eating or talking to anyone," Remus reported.

"And Ginny?" Dumbledore questioned.

"She has expressed wishes to be returned to her family. We planned to take her back home shortly after this meeting," Remus answered.

Dumbledore nodded, having expected this response.

The room was filled with a heavy silence that hung over them all, finally Tonks burst out, "What are we going to do about this? We can't just leave him there!"

Dumbledore frowned, "There is no way to get Harry back unless he comes to us, or we find Voldemort's headquarters, which is proving difficult. Severus has informed me that it is under the Fidelius? Charm and we won't be able to find it," he replied.

Remus sighed. "How could he do this? I never thought that he could do something like this. And why now? He was innocent of the crimes he was committed for, we know that much, but now he turns to Voldemort? It makes no sense," Remus muttered.

"Sometimes even the best of men can turn," Dumbledore stated.

Remus shook his head, not accepting that answer, but what other one was there?

**~~~TB~~~**

Molly Weasley was in the kitchen making dinner for her husband and son, Charlie, who was visiting from Romania, when there was a knock on the door. Looking up from her work, she wiped her hands on a dish towel and walked over to the door to pull it open.

Her eyes widened as she saw who was standing there. Tonks was there, standing behind Ginny. Ginny looked pale and like she had been crying and Tonks looked depressed herself.

"Ginny," Molly whispered before pulling her daughter into her arms. Over her daughter's head, she gave the auror a questioning look.

"She found that things were not as they seemed. She insisted on coming home," Tonks explained in a dull voice.

Molly gave Tonks a confused look but replied, "Thank you, Tonks," and pulled her daughter into the house before closing the door.

Ginny nestled into her mother's arms, feeling all the stress from being on the run and then captured by Voldemort and trying to keep Harry's secret away from everyone melt away and she felt like the young girl she actually was. At fifteen years old, she shouldn't have to deal with that kind of pressure.

Ginny let out a sob of relief and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the comforting embrace of her mother. She only wished that it could last longer, but after only a few moments, Molly pulled away from her daughter.

"Are you okay, Ginny?" Molly asked.

Ginny nodded mutely.

Molly stared at her daughter for a minute more before nodding again. "I'm glad. Why don't you get cleaned up for supper? Then you can go find Charlie, I think he's in the backyard," Molly suggest.

Ginny didn't say anything, but she left the room and went up the stairs to her bedroom to get cleaned up.

Molly stared after her, wondering what had happened to her daughter since she had run away from home. She knew the basics, she had left with Harry and Black and had been on the run with them for a while before going to Hogwarts and then leaving Hogwarts again to go back to Harry and Black. Now she just shows up here, upset and supposedly having found the truth.

She would have to talk to Ginny and get some details out of her.

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**A/N - Thanks for all the reviews, and I hope you keep them coming!**


	25. Training

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and everything to do with it, is not mine. I am getting no profit from writing this story at all.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Okay, first of all let me say I'm sorry it's been forever. I got busy with real life and when I did have time to write, I spent it working on my novel that I am trying to get published. Despite how much I love writing this story, my own work comes first. Rest assured, though, that no matter what happens, this story will not be abandoned.

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-four ~~~**

A knock on the door woke Harry. He reached toward the bedside table for his glasses and pushed them on as the door opened and Lucius Malfoy entered. He gave Harry a mildly disapproving look as he saw him still in bed.

Harry felt awkward as he looked at one of the men he hated, but would now have to work with daily.

"Since the Dark Lord assigned me to be your mentor while you adjusted, I thought it best to get an early start," Malfoy stated imperiously.

"Right," Harry agreed mildly.

A moment of silence fell between them and Harry felt decidedly awkward.

"I trust you can find your way to the Training Hall?" Malfoy asked.

Harry nodded. Malfoy nodded as well and left the room, looking distracted.

Harry climbed out of bed and changed into the robes that had been in his room before leaving the room to find his new mentor in the Training Hall.

**~~~TB~~~**

"You're not trying hard enough," Malfoy exclaimed, frustrated.

"I'm trying the best I can. You forget I've only learned up to forth year magic, and you're trying to get me to do an advanced dark spell!" Harry protested.

"If you can't do this spell, how can you possibly be a deatheater?" Malfoy questioned.

"Lucius," a voice interrupted him.

Malfoy and Harry both looked over to see Voldemort standing there, looking decidedly amused.

"Master," Lucius murmured, bowing.

Voldemort looked expectantly at Harry and Harry grudgingly bowed down as well.

"What seems to be the problem?" Voldemort asked, addressing Malfoy.

"He isn't trying to learn the spell," Malfoy answered.

"I am! It's too complicated!" Harry fought.

"Shall I try?" Voldemort asked.

Malfoy nodded and stepped backwards.

Harry held back a wince as Voldemort stepped further into the room. In this close of proximity, his scar hurt intensely, but Harry didn't complain. He was just glad Voldemort was evidently in a good mood.

"Cast the spell," Voldemort told Harry.

Harry obeyed, casting the mild cutting curse he was trying to master. The spell merely made a small slit in the cushion that Harry was casting it on, not a large gash as was supposed to happen.

As soon as he failed, Voldemort cried out, "Crucio!"

Harry screamed as he was held under the Unforgivable Curse. After a moment, he was let up.

"Try again," Voldemort said.

Harry tried to calm his breathing as he climbed to his feet. He held back from glaring at his new master, knowing it would get him nowhere. Instead, he focused his anger on the spell and with a slash of his wand, the cushion was split in two.

Voldemort nodded approval. "See Lucius? It only takes a little persuasion," the Dark Lord stated, then swept out of the room.

Harry huffed in annoyance turned his gaze to where Lucius was standing.

"Fine. I'll admit that you can do the spells, with a little anger. The question now, is whether we can get you angry enough that you'll be able to cast an Unforgivable," Malfoy commented.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, wondering that himself. And if he did manage to cast an unforgivable, would he ever be able to forgive himself?

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny sat beside the pond, her feet hanging in the water and she gazed towards the setting sun. Harry had been a deatheater for a day now, and Ginny was worried. More specifically, she was worried about how he would handle doing the spells that Voldemort would request of him. Some of them were very gruesome, no doubt, and Harry had a weak stomach. He never used to, but being trapped with dementors had changed him.

Ginny remembered one day while they were in Grimmauld Place, Sirius had cut himself on a piece of broken glass as they were cleaning out one of the rooms. Harry had actually fainted at the sight of blood.

Harry had been teased by Sirius for days after that.

Then Ginny's thoughts turned to that day in the cell that Harry admitted he loved her. She held back tears as she wondered if they would ever be together. If things went as planned, they should, but when did things ever go as planned when Harry was involved?

Ginny feared that Harry would die, or even worse, that Harry's time spent with the deatheaters and followers of Voldemort would rid Harry of his ability to love. That was Voldemort's greatest downfall, after all. What if it rubbed off on Harry?

Harry shuddered at the thought of Harry acting like Voldemort and pushed that mindset away.

"Ginny! Come in for supper!" Mrs. Weasley called.

Ginny sighed and climbed to her feet. As much as she enjoyed being with her mum and Charlie again, the attention she received was almost smothering.

**~~~TB~~~**

Snape walked down the hallway Voldemort's lair. , had sent him here to gather information on Harry, but he couldn't find the blasted boy anywhere. There was no sign that Potter was anywhere, or that he had ever been there.

Then suddenly, Harry walked around a corner and bumped right into Snape.

"Snape?" Harry asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Potter," Snape murmured dully.

"You're a deatheater? I knew it," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Yes, I'm a deatheater, fool. And if you recall, so are you," Snape replied.

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but realised that what Snape had said was perfectly true.

"Severus, what a pleasant surprise," Malfoy greeted, having come around the corner after Harry.

"Lucius," Snape returned.

"Potter, go to your room, and don't get into any trouble on the way," Malfoy instructed.

Harry nodded and left. Snape watched him go then turned a curious look on Malfoy.

"The Dark Lord assigned me to mentor him in the ways of a deatheater," Malfoy explained, looking spiteful. "We just finished his first training session."

"And could he ever possibly be a deatheater?" Snape questioned.

"He certainly has enough power, but I suspect he will not go far. Despite what the world in general may think of him, he is not a murderer. He won't make it longer than a week," Malfoy gave his analysis.

Snape nodded absently. Dumbledore would certainly be interested in that. Perhaps Harry had an alternate reason for being a deatheater?

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**A/N - Okay, so this might not be the best chapter in the world. I wrote it really quickly, in less than half an hour, then posted it. Please do review though, whether to yell at me for taking so long in getting to it, comment on the story, or tell me something completely random, I'll cherish them all. **


	26. Glimpse

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters. I am merely a lowly and bored teenager seeking amusement by mutilating other people's hard work.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Script frenzy is officially over as of midnight today, and I'm proud to say that I did win. That means that I'll have more time to work on this, so the updates won't be so far spread. I'll try to get back to the schedule of updating twice a week. Also, since I was writing a script for this story, I reread a lot of the chapters and noticed that there are a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes. I guess that comes from not having a Beta (anyone who wants the job, let me know, I'll be glad to have one!). So, as soon as I find the time, I'll go back and fix all those mistakes.**

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-five ~~~**

It had been a month. Every day, and sometimes more than that, Harry had been trained to do dark magic by Lucius Malfoy.

Now, Harry stood before his master, Lord Voldemort, for what Malfoy called his 'final exam.'

"Bring her in," Voldemort commanded. Although his voice was calm and normal, Harry could feel his excitement through their link. Due to being near Voldemort almost constantly for so long, the pain had faded into numbness, and Harry was more in tune to Voldemort's emotions. For some reason, Voldemort was not able to sense Harry's emotions, which Harry was very grateful for.

Harry was distracted then by two deatheaters dragging in a weeping woman, one who Harry assumed was a muggle because she didn't seem to recognise him, which any wizard or witch would, him being Harry Potter.

Harry kept his face blank as he stared at the woman, who was looking around the room, searching for anyone who might help her. She would find no help there.

"Kill her," Voldemort's cold voice rang out.

Harry's heart leapt in horror, but like the good deatheater he had been trained to be, he raised his wand.

Harry had only performed this spell twice before. His first time was on a spider, and the second had been on a dog. Harry had nearly been sick both times, but had learned to hide his emotions from all those around him.

The woman started to plead at him, begging and Harry drew in a sharp breath and focused on all his anger, at Voldemort, but also at the world in general. The world had risen him to the top, made him their hero, and then had dumped him in prison at the slightly sign of betrayal.

His anger flowing, Harry said the murderous words and the woman fell to the ground, dead.

"Very good," Voldemort complimented.

Harry nodded, accepting his Lord's compliment.

"Tomorrow, you will go on your first raid. I suggest you get some rest," Voldemort said.

Harry nodded again and as soon as Voldemort left the room, he left as well.

Harry rushed immediately to his room locked the door. Once behind the locked door, he allowed his emotions to show. He felt nauseous at the thought that he had just killed someone.

Stumbling to his bed, Harry fell onto the mattress and buried his face in his pillow. Harry wished he was back with Sirius, Remus, Dora, and especially Ginny. He missed them all greatly, but he knew that they probably hated him by now, except Ginny, perhaps.

Harry couldn't help but wonder, if this is how it was going to be whenever he killed someone he didn't know, what would happen when he had to fight someone he did know? And what about the next day at the raid? He was sure to run into someone he knew there.

Harry didn't know if he could handle it.

XXXXX

Sirius blinked up at the rising sun. He had been out all night, searching.

He claimed it was for Pettigrew, but these day, it was more for Harry.

A week after Harry had left, Remus had dragged Sirius out of his room and yelled at him, telling him to stop moping around and that he needed to get over Harry, at least to take care of himself.

Sirius had fought back, claiming that Harry was his life and that he wouldn't live without him.

That fight had been the worst fight they had ever had, but Remus had won, as usual, and Sirius had started to go out, searching for Wormtail at night again. Most nights, he stayed out until morning before returning home.

Trudging through the entrance of Remus' home, he heard urgent voices.

Sirius entered the living room to see Remus talking to Dumbledore through the floo.

"You have to get there immediately," Dumbledore was saying.

"I'll be there as soon as Sirius gets back," Remus replied.

"No need. I'm here," Sirius stated dully. "What's going on?"

"Deatheater attack. I have to go. And no, you can't come," Remus stated.

Dumbledore disappeared from the fireplace then, probably to call someone else.

"Just make sure to watch for Harry while you're there, okay?" Sirius suggested.

Remus paused, his face pained as he suddenly realised what side Harry would be on if he was there.

"I will," he murmured softly, then apparated away.

Left alone, Sirius retreated to his room.

XXXXX

Harry stood beside Lucius, wearing his deatheater robes and masked with the typical deatheater mask. He clutched his wand in his hand as he stood in the shadows and watched the village people walk by, enjoying the warm day.

"Alright, that's the signal. Let's go," Lucius murmured beside him.

Lucius stepped out of the shadows, along with the three others in the group. Harry followed them out.

Around him, the deatheaters started shooting random curses into the crowd, and the crowd immediately reacted. Most of them scattered, calling out to the families. Some drew their wands and tried to fight back.

Harry didn't fight. He stood in the midst of the fighting and took in all the destruction. It was almost too much for him to handle. He had known it would be hard to handle, but this worse than he had imagined.

A curse nearly hit him then, and Harry instinctively dodged out of the way. Looking over to see who had almost hit him, he nearly gasped as he saw Charlie Weasley.

Sending a quick hex back, the fighting began. Harry tried not to send anything too harmful, but Charlie was a good dueller, and Harry knew that if he didn't fight like a deatheater, there would be problems.

Feeling intensely guilty, Harry shot a cutting curse at the man he had once considered to be family, and watched him fall to the ground, clutching his bleeding chest.

Spinning around, Harry was faced with Dora. She glared at him and started another duel. This was one that Harry wanted to avoid at all costs, but it didn't work. Harry, hoping to end the duel fast before it could get dangerous for either one of them, cast several stunners in a row, and to his luck, Dora fell.

A spell hit him from behind and made him lurch. His mask became loose and fell to the ground.

Angry, Harry spun around to hex his attacker, but stopped abruptly as he saw it was Remus.

Remus stopped too, his eyes widening as he saw who he had attacked.

"Harry?" Remus rasped, pain colouring his voice.

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**A/N - I'm in one of those moods that you get when it rains for four days straight and it starts to seem like you're never going to feel the sun again and then you start to fade away into nothingness and turn into a shriveled being of sorrow. I've heard, from a very reliable source, that a great cure for this is a lot of reviews. You can help me out, can't you?**


	27. Advances

**Disclaimer:** What do you know about JK Rowling? Now what do you know about me? Do they add up? No? Then, I must not own Harry Potter or anything to do with it, right? Think on it, it'll be obvious in a moment.

**The Brotherhood**

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**A/N - Wow, great response to a cliffhanger....maybe I should do them more often.....**

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-six ~~~**

"Potter! Fight!" the command came out of nowhere and Harry moved on instincts, obeying instantly, as he had been taught.

Much against his own will, he attacked Remus, who looked more than a little surprised.

Harry made sure to keep his face blank as he fought Remus, but he was very aware that he was not sending any harmful spells the man's way, and Remus didn't send any spells back at him at all.

"Harry please, come back," Remus begged when Harry paused to dodge a spell coming from another direction.

Harry turned his eyes on Remus and Remus saw the slight longing in them, but only for half a second, then Harry apparated away, at precisely the same time as all the other deatheaters.

Remus was left standing alone, confused at what had happened. Harry obviously didn't like what he was doing, yet he was most obviously a true blue deatheater, and he was not coming back.

Remus glanced around, and spotting Dora, the original reason he had started to fight Harry, and crouched down by her. To his relief, she was only stunned and he quickly undid that.

"I have to go report something to Dumbledore. Will you be okay?" Remus asked.

"Of course. I'll have to go back to the Ministry and file an auror report, though. Meet you home later?" Dora replied.

"Sure,"

Dora nodded and Remus stood and apparated away to inform Dumbledore of what he had encountered.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry landed in the main hall, along with the rest of the raiding deatheaters.

Lucius, came up to him again. "The Dark Lord is expecting you," he informed Harry.

Harry nodded and crossed the emptying hall to meet with his master.

Knocking lightly on the door, Harry was allowed entrance and he went into the room to see Voldemort lounging on his throne, as was usual.

Harry walked to the centre of the room and bowed low. It had become a natural thing by this time.

"Rise," Voldemort commanded. Harry obeyed and looked directly at Voldemort, knowing that Voldemort would want to look through his memories.

It only took a few seconds for Voldemort to sort through the memories of the attack and study them.

"You did well, Harry. It is time for your training to progress to the next level," Voldemort commented.

"Master?" Harry questioned. He had not been aware that his training would continue.

"Yes, Harry, your training will continue with me. I did promise to make you my heir when you joined, did I not?"

"You did," Harry agreed.

"Be here promptly at sunrise tomorrow morning for your training. I warn you, it'll be more difficult than your training with Lucius has been," Voldemort warned.

"I am prepared, Master," Harry stated.

"Good. Now leave me," Voldemort ordered.

Harry bowed and left the room. As the door closed behind him, a small smirk formed on his face. His plan was progressing well.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus landed outside his home and went inside. He paused at the sight of Sirius pacing anxiously.

"Sirius," Remus got his attention.

Sirius turned and studied Remus' face, looking for answers. Remus' face only showed weariness however, and Sirius received no answers.

"I have a report for Dumbledore. You might want to hear it," Remus murmured.

Sirius nodded and followed his friend through the floo into Dumbledore's office, where Dumbledore was waiting for them.

Dumbledore gave Remus an expectantly look, but Remus just sighed tiredly.

"I left before I got the information on how many were hurt or killed, but I came to inform you of something else," Remus informed him.

"Take a seat Remus. You too, Sirius," Dumbledore offered.

Remus sat down across from the headmaster and Sirius stood behind him, not wanting to sit.

"Is it Harry?" Dumbledore asked. Sirius tensed at that and looked down at his friend.

"He was there. He attacked Dora, but didn't actually hurt her. We duelled, kind of, but he didn't actually hurt me either. It was like he was holding back, but he was definitely on their side," Remus reported softly.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful.

"So that's it then? He's actually turned? There's nothing else to it?" Sirius questioned, sorrow in his voice.

A knock on the door interrupted Dumbledore from replying. The door opened without Dumbledore's permission and Snape entered. He froze as he saw who was in the room.

"Snape," Sirius growled.

"Sirius, we are all on the same side here," Dumbledore reminded, then turned to the newcomer, "Severus?"

Snape gave Remus and Sirius a regarding look, then turned his attention to Dumbledore.

"Potter has been promoted," he stated simply.

"What?" Remus asked, standing suddenly in surprise.

Snape ignored Remus.

"Please explain, Severus," Dumbledore prompted.

"The Dark Lord thought he did well enough today that he is going to start training the boy himself. He said he would turn him into his heir," Snape said, his eyes turning on Sirius.

Sirius' eyes widened. "His heir?"

"That is what was promised when Harry joined him, or didn't you know? Potter joined Voldemort to gain power," Snape curtly informed Sirius.

Sirius glared at Snape.

"Severus, that is enough," Dumbledore said, his gaze troubled as he stared at his desk in concentration.

"He can't stay there any longer. We have to get him out!" Sirius protested to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore held up a hand, silencing Sirius. "I believe, Sirius, that Harry has alternate reason for joining Voldemort's side. I suggest we let him proceed with what he is doing."

"Even if he isn't a deatheater, he is still in Voldemort's grasp. He could be killed!" Sirius protested further.

Dumbledore nodded. "I am well aware of that, and so is Harry, I'm sure," Dumbledore finally looked up at the three men standing in front of him. "Harry is more cunning than you know. I don't think he ever mentioned this, but Slytherin was the house he was most compatible for, but he begged the hat to put him in Gryffindor. He fits in both houses equally well, and that combination is one that can survive through most things. He will survive this, and I wouldn't be surprised if he brought down Voldemort while he was at it."

With those words said, Dumbledore nodded a dismissal to the three of them and exited into the back room.

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**A/N - For once, I have nothing to say. Except this. Of course. **


	28. Conversation

**Disclaimer:** If I were JK Rowling, I would own Harry Potter, but I am not and I don't.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Reached 100 pages on word finally. That's exciting, right?

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-seven ~~~**

Harry approached the training room with some apprehension. It was one thing being taught by Lucius Malfoy. That, he could handle. Being taught by Lord Voldemort himself, Harry wasn't sure of. He was glad it was happening, of course. It suited his plan. But that did not mean that he wasn't weary of what might happen during his training. Harry did not forget his first day of training, and the method Voldemort had used to teach him then. If this was anything like that, Harry was positive he wasn't going to be able to survive.

Harry knocked lightly on the door as he arrived before pushing it open and entering. Voldemort wasn't there yet and Harry was alone in the room, but it wasn't a long wait until the door opened again and Harry saw Voldemort standing in the doorway.

Harry bowed, as he always did.

"Harry, it is not the time for formalities. You are being trained under me now, and as such, you have become more of an equal. There is no need to call me master," Voldemort informed him.

Harry held in his surprise and nodded instead.

"Now, let's begin," Voldemort stated and walked further into the room.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry grumbled under his breath as he pulled a thick book off the shelf of the library in Voldemort's Lair.

"Was I ever given homework when I was training under Lucius? No! So why do I have homework when working with Voldemort?" he grumbled.

Dropping the heavy book on the table, Harry cringed as he saw the front cover and the picture of a person in what looked like extreme pain being shown on it.

"And of course, it has to be on the most gruesome subject. Why would anyone want to turn anyone else inside out anyway?" Harry continued, sitting down in his chair and pulling his half written paper closer to him.

"It's because he wanted to be a Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, haven't you heard?" a voice broke through his complaining.

Harry looked up and saw an amused looking Bellatrix Lestrange standing in the shadows of a nearby bookshelf.

"What?" Harry asked.

Bellatrix smiled grimly. "He gave you homework because he wanted to be a teacher. He's acting as a teacher now, isn't he?"

"He wanted to be a teacher?" Harry repeated. For the life of him, he could not see Voldemort standing in a classroom teaching a bunch of students anything.

"He applied. He was rejected. He cursed the job," Bellatrix stated simply.

"That's why a teacher hasn't been able to keep the job for longer than a year," Harry murmured.

"You catch on fast," Bellatrix stated, then came closer.

Harry gazed at her. He remembered her in Azkaban very well, but she hardly looked like the same person now. Likewise, Harry supposed, neither he nor Sirius looked the same as they had in Azkaban.

"When did you escape from Azkaban?" Harry questioned. He had not seen Bellatrix around at all, but that was probably because he hadn't spent much time outside of his room.

"Last week," Bellatrix informed him, her eyes flickering past him and concentrating on the window behind him.

Harry glanced back there and saw nothing but sunlight streaming through. Of course, he had stared at the sun too, when he had just escaped from the dark prison.

Bellatrix stayed silent and Harry went back to his work, trying to avoid looking at some of the more horrifying pictures the book depicted.

"Heard from my dear cousin lately?" Bellatrix broke the silence.

Harry paused, his quill stopped mid-word.

"I don't speak to Sirius anymore," he told her.

"Pity. He would have made a great deatheater," Bellatrix murmured. She nodded a farewell to Harry and then left the library, as silently as she had entered.

Harry stared after her, wondering just what her purpose had been in seeking him out.

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny paced around and around the room, Charlie's eyes following her as he sat on the couch. Their parents were at an Order meeting and although Charlie was invited to attend, he had elected to stay behind with Ginny.

"What is wrong with you?" Charlie suddenly asked.

Ginny stopped and looked at her brother. "Nothing," she replied, but in truth, she was getting worried. It was about the time that Harry had been supposed to move on to the second part of their plan, but nothing had happened yet. Of course, she couldn't tell Charlie this. She couldn't tell anyone this.

"There's obviously something wrong," Charlie rolled his eyes at her lame answer.

"I'm fine. You should have gone to the Order meeting," Ginny informed him, for the umpteenth time.

"And leave you all alone? I don't think so. Mum doesn't want you alone anymore. She thinks it's bad for your sanity," Charlie told her.

"There's nothing wrong with my sanity!" Ginny protested.

Charlie grinned, "Oh yeah? Can you prove that for a fact?" he teased.

Ginny glared at him, but then sighed and allowed herself to fall down onto the couch beside him.

She had Harry had joked about each other's sanity all the time, and the subject made her miss him extremely. At the same time, she had to wonder if he even missed her back.

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**A/N - You know the drill by now: read, review, and repeat. **


	29. Worries

**Disclaimer:** If you haven't gotten by this point that Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, than there is something wrong with you.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - I'm going camping this weekend! Yay, the first camping trip of the season! ****Yes, I know, that is highly irrevelant to the story, but I thought it would be fun to share anyway. **

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-Eight ~~~**

Harry let out a frustrated growl as, once again, he found himself in the library of Voldemort's lair, studying for some assignment that Voldemort had assigned.

Harry was progressing fast in the actually casting of the spells, and it turned out that Voldemort wasn't such a horrible teacher, but all the same, Harry wished he had less homework.

Harry scanned the shelves, looking for a certain book. As his eyes flickered over one title, he paused in his search. The book didn't look that it would cover the subject he was concentrating on, but it did interest him.

Pulling the book off the shelf he flipped through it then smiled slightly and pocketed the book before continuing on with his search.

**~~~TB~~~**

"I swear, if he does not contact me within the hour…" Ginny muttered to herself as she watched her mother open a letter that had just arrived.

It had been two weeks since Harry had been supposed to contact her, and his letter had not yet come. She was beyond worrying about him by this point and was prepared to go out looking for him herself.

"Did you say something, dear?" Molly asked, looking up.

"No, Mum," Ginny paused, "Do you think I could go visit Tonks today?"

Molly hesitated. "Tonks? Are you sure?"

"Yes. Can I?" Ginny repeated.

"I suppose," Molly agreed, puzzled. As far as she knew, her daughter was not that close with Tonks.

Ginny nodded in thanks and finished her breakfast silently.

**~~~TB~~~**

"Ginny?"

Remus looked up. Ginny was standing in the doorway, looking nervous. Sirius, who had been sitting at the kitchen table, was he one who had spoke, as he rose to his feet.

"Hey, Sirius, Remus," Ginny murmured softly. Tonks appeared behind her, looking mystified.

"She showed up at my home this morning and requested for me to take her here," Tonks explained briefly before heading past Ginny and taking a seat next to her cousin.

Remus looked at Ginny again. The girl was pale and was biting her lip nervously.

"What happened?" Remus asked.

Ginny sighed and took a seat at the table before answering, "Harry's innocent."

The three adults stared at her. As far as any of them knew, she was the one of them who believed he was guilty.

Remus opened his mouth to respond, but Ginny cut him off.

"The whole thing is a plot to take down Voldemort. Only Harry and I knew about it. He didn't want you guys to know that he hadn't really turned, because then Voldemort could use you against him.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you, and he'd probably be upset about it, but I had to! Harry was supposed to contact me two weeks, to confirm that the next part of the plan was going okay, but he hasn't contacted me," Ginny explained. Then her voice turned almost inaudibly soft, "I'm worried about him."

Remus and Sirius exchanged a look. Remus could see the relief in Sirius' eyes, but there was still an element of worry.

"And you agreed to this plan?" Tonks asked dubiously.

Ginny flushed slightly, "He was very convincing," she murmured.

Tonks, Remus, and Sirius all got the impression that Ginny was hiding something, and they could guess what it was.

"Don't worry, Ginny. We'll figure it out. Snape reported that Harry was still fine, and training under Voldemort two days ago to Dumbledore. He isn't hurt, at least," Tonks reassured her.

Ginny shook her head. "That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried…what if…what if he really did turn? What if he was under too much pressure?" Ginny looked up at Remus pleadingly, as if begging him to tell her it was impossible.

"I don't know, Ginny. I'm sorry, but I don't think he could ever really turn," Remus commented.

Ginny frowned slightly, "It seemed easy enough the first time," she reminded.

Remus shook his head. "I never really believed it," he told her. Sirius nodded in agreement.

**~~~TB~~~**

Snape paced Dumbledore's office in frustration.

"I don't get how the Dark Lord trusts him! Already, Potter has managed to worm his way to a rank topping even Bellatrix, and she is at His right hand. He ordered one of the lower rank deatheaters to receive something yesterday. If any deatheater tried to do that, it would not end well, but nothing came of it, and he was standing in the same room as the Dark Lord," Snape complained.

Dumbledore watched Snape pace, his face expressionless.

"I do believe that Voldemort," Dumbledore paused as Snape sent a scowling look in his direction for his use of that name, "does not have his full trust in Harry. He is up to something, and Harry is no doubt playing right into a trap. Right now, though, all we can do is hope that Harry manages to make the best of the situation. The higher of a rank he gains, the closer he is to Voldemort, which means that he is more able to defeat him."

"And what if he falls into the trap and is killed?" Snape asked.

Dumbledore bowed his head. "We can only pray he doesn't,"

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**A/N - Yes, I know the plot has come to a standstill, but I do have an excuse for my not-so-great writing! See, I'm working on the outline for the novel I'm going to write during WriDaNoJu in all my free time. I also plan to participate in the July and August novel writing contests, so this summer there aren't going to be a lot of updates because I am going to working on my novel(s).**


	30. Contact

**Disclaimer:** Nope, still not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - I've had this chapter in my mind for a while now, it was just the matter of writing it down, and I finally found the time to do that today. However, next week I have finals (ugh, kill me now, please!) and I won't have time to write during them, with the addition of the novel writing contest I'm doing over the summer. I'll try to update, but there aren't any promises for the next two weeks, and possibly even after that. I tried to make this chapter not end in such a horrible place so that you can go on for a couple weeks without dying to see what happens next, though.

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**~~~ Chapter Twenty-Nine ~~~**

Harry crept silently through the dark mansion, peering down every hallway cautiously as he passed it. There was no way he could possibly be spotted. At day, he was the loyal subject. He followed Voldemort's orders and acted the part of his heir. At night, though, he was back to himself. The Harry Potter Ginny, Sirius, Remus, and Dora knew.

In Harry's hand was a letter, which, Harry knew, was two weeks late, but he hadn't had another choice. There was only one owl in Voldemort's Lair, and that owl belonged to Voldemort himself, and was only used by The Dark Lord. Harry had only discovered it two days before when he had visited Voldemort's private quarters for the first time.

Easing the door open, Harry looked into the darkened room. There was no sign of Voldemort, which was good. Harry was able to complete his task.

Creeping across the room, Harry went to the perch of the completely black owl which Voldemort owned.

The owl opened its eyes and peered at Harry imperiously as Harry came to stand before it. "Can you deliver something for me?" Harry asked.

The owl hooted softly and Harry took this as a 'yes'.

As Harry held up the envelope, the owl held out its leg and allowed him to tie it on.

"Take this to Ginny Weasley. Hopefully, she is at the Burrow, or maybe Remus' house," Harry informed the owl.

The owl let out a dull hoot and lifted into the air. It swooped around Harry's head once, then flew out the open window.

Harry glanced around the room once more, cautiously, then left the room in silence. Hopefully, nobody would be able to tell he was there.

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny sat at the table with her head lying against the cool wood. Beside her was Dora, and across from them sat Remus and Sirius. All of them in a silence that filled the room more often than not when Ginny visited the three adults these days. They usually discussed ways to possibly get Harry out of Voldemort's grasp, but the discussions were repetitive and usually died away because of their uselessness.

A tap on the window broke the silence and all four looked up to see an owl on the windowsill, peering in at them.

"Probably mum, wondering why I'm not home yet," Ginny murmured, glancing at the clock. It was past midnight.

Remus stood and opened the window, allowing the owl to swoop into the room and settle by Ginny, who took the letter from its leg.

"This doesn't look like your mother's owl, Ginny," Dora commented, studying the black owl.

Ginny nodded, as she scanned the letter. "I know. It's from Harry," she murmured.

Sirius sat up straight. "What does he say?" he asked.

"Not much," Ginny replied.

The owl, seeing it wasn't needed, hooted once then left through the still open window. A cold wind blew through the window and Remus shut it, but his eyes were still on the letter Ginny held in her hand.

Ginny pulled a blank piece of parchment out from behind Harry's letter. "He says that to contact him, I should write on this parchment, and he'll be able to see it and respond," she told them.

Remus instantly procured a quill and a bottle of ink.

Ginny dipped the end of the quill in the ink but hesitated from writing anything on the parchment. She glanced up to see Sirius, Remus, and Dora all watching her.

"Do it," demanded Sirius, impatiently.

Ginny drew in a sharp breath. This reminded her a little too much of her first year at Hogwarts, and the diary she had written in. Still, she trusted Harry not to send her something that would absorb her soul, so she slowly wrote, _Harry?_ on the parchment.

The word didn't fade into the piece of parchment, as she had expected. Instead, it stayed there, as it would with any other parchment.

They all stared at the parchment, waiting for some response, but none came for a long time. Just as they were about to give up, a word formed on the parchment in green ink.

_Ginny. _

Ginny let out a breath that she had been holding. It worked! Sirius let out a brief cheer.

Ginny quickly wrote back.

_Harry! It works!_

Harry was quick to reply this time. _Of course it works, Ginny. I charmed it myself._

Ginny was so happy she laughed. She could communicate with Harry again! After six long weeks without contact, she was able to talk to him again.

"Ask him if he's okay," Sirius requested.

Ginny nodded. "Of course, but first I should let him know that you guys know," she replied.

Ginny wrote, _Harry, I was really worried. I kind of told Sirius, Remus, and Dora about your plan._

There wasn't a reply for a while. Ginny hoped that she hadn't upset Harry enough to not reply. Much to her relief, a reply was returned.

_I forgive you for that. It's my own fault, after all. Are they there with you?_

"Yes," Sirius said, directing Ginny to write it in his excitement.

Ginny obliged.

Harry's reply came fast. _Good. Let them know I miss them, and you as well. I have to go though. Training starts in a few hours and Voldemort will want to know why I am so tired if I don't get sleep. _

Dora and Sirius exchanged a glance. They were aware that Voldemort was training Harry personally, but the fact that Harry spoke, or wrote, about him so casually made it seem as if they were much closer than just mentor and student.

Ginny scratched out a reply. _When can I write to you again?_

_Evenings. I have training in the morning, and I'm usually busy with research in the afternoons._

Ginny glanced up at the other three. "Research?" repeated Dora curiously.

_Research? _Ginny repeated the question.

There was a pause before Harry's reply came. _Yes. Voldemort has a large library on hand, with plenty of information that is useful. I really must go now, though. Goodnight._

_Goodnight, Harry.

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_

**A/N - There you go; Harry and Ginny are back in contact again; Remus, Sirius, and Dora aren't in the dark about the plan; Harry is progressing with his crazy idea; and the story is slowly gaining a plot again, kind of. See, good ending point for a few weeks, right?**


	31. Revenge

**Disclaimer:** JKR is the Supreme Overlord of Harry Potter. I'm just a mildly creative peasant who is mutilating her work for my own pleasure.

**The Brotherhood**

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**A/N - Finals are done, I hopefully passed all of my classes, and the school year is out! The novel I was writing during June has kind of been written into a corner, and I'm 10,000 words behind where I should be at this point in time. I have massive writer's block on it, so I decided to fall back onto my old hobby of borrowing successful peoples work and ruining it. Hopefully, I'll be working on my novel again soon, but until then, enjoy this new chapter.**

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**~~~Chapter Thirty~~~**

_You did what?_

Harry sighed as he stared at the parchment. He was talking to Ginny over the parchment, and was telling her in more detail about what had been going on for him since they had last met face to face.

_I had to Ginny. You know the plan as I well as I do. I have to make him believe I'm loyal to him, and him alone._

Ginny's reply didn't come fast and Harry got the distinct impression that she was mad at him.

_I know, Harry. I'm just worried for you. What if it all goes wrong?_

Harry glanced at the clock, looking for a reason to cut the conversation short, but the clock said it was barely 11:00, which meant that he had another hour before he would have to retire to bed.

_That is a risk I have to take, Ginny._

Harry decided a change of topic would be better.

_Where are you at anyway? With Sirius?_

Ginny probably knew exactly what he was doing, but she allowed him to change the topic.

_I am at Remus' house, but Sirius isn't here. Dora and Remus are in the other room together, but Sirius left this morning and hasn't come back yet._

Ginny's reply caught his interest. _Really? What is Sirius doing?_

_Searching for Pettigrew still, of course. We think he switched to searching for you after you 'went missing', but he's back to looking for the rat._

Harry gaped at the parchment in surprise. Pettigrew! He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of him. True, he hadn't seen Wormtail even once since he had joined Voldemort's ranks, but then again, he hadn't exactly spent a lot of time with the deatheaters. He could free Sirius!

_Harry?_

Harry blinked down at the paper in surprise. He suddenly realised he had spent longer than his usual reply time thinking and hastily scribbled a reply. _Sorry, I just thought of something, Pettigrew is a deatheater right? He's got to be around here somewhere. I could free Sirius!_

Ginny's reply came immediately, but it did not contain what he thought it would. _It is true that he might be there, but remember your plan. Bringing down Voldemort is more important than anything else. You can deal with Pettigrew later._

_But what about Sirius?_ Harry protested.

_Do what you can, Harry. Just be wary. It pains me to say this, but your love is your greatest downfall. You care too much for Sirius, and trying to free him will likely make your success with Voldemort falter._

Harry stared at the parchment in shock. He couldn't believe Ginny had just said that. Angrily, he shoved the parchment aside, not even bothering to reply to her last comment.

Harry stood and paced around the room. He didn't care what Ginny said, he was going after Pettigrew! Hadn't Dumbledore said, before everything, that love was what had protected him? How could love be a bad thing?

Harry, unable to sleep now that he was all worked up, sat down in a nearby armchair and pulled out the book he had been studying earlier in the day.

**~~~ TB ~~~**

Ginny stared at the parchment in sorrow as Harry didn't reply. He seemed to be a lot more defensive than her ever had before, and Ginny wondered if that had something to do with being around the deatheaters.

The door opened then, and a depressed looking Sirius entered. Ginny watched him enter the living room and evidently disturb whatever Dora and Remus had been doing, because there was much yelling.

Ginny looked in the direction that Sirius had left, but then she glanced back down at the parchment. Yes, Harry would risk everything for Sirius, and there was no stopping him.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry made sure the parchment revealing his contact with the outside world was well hidden before leaving his room the next morning. He headed down to the kitchens, where, Harry knew, those deatheaters who were in hiding ate breakfast. Deatheaters who still had homes ate there. He usually ate breakfast in him room, brought up by house elves, but today, he had a new goal.

Harry scanned the room, trying not to look conspicuous. It took a few rounds to finally spot the mousy man, but he was there, sitting at the end of one of the table.

Harry stood and crossed the room to the table where Pettigrew was sitting and took a seat across from him. Peter looked up and jumped in surprise and slight fear.

"Harry," he greeted in a quivering voice.

"Hello, Peter," Harry grinned wickedly and the man blanched.

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny flooed, once again, into Remus' house, as was usual by this point. Her family was mildly surprised that she had become such great friends with Dora, but they were glad that she was seemingly getting over Harry, and so allowed her to make daily visits to Dora. They had no idea, of course, that Ginny was also visited Remus and Sirius, or else Ginny was sure they wouldn't have let her go.

Ginny was surprised when she heard the sound of a celebration going on in the other room and she promptly went to investigate.

Sirius, Remus, and Dora were all celebrating raucously, but for what, Ginny couldn't figure out.

"What's going on?" she shouted, trying to be heard over the loud music.

In response, Dora, who was the closest to her, handed Ginny the Daily Prophet. Ginny's eyes widened in shock at the headlines. Sirius had been pardoned in full because of the capture and interrogation of Peter Pettigrew.

"How?" Ginny questioned, looking up at Sirius. He grinned.

"We don't know. Either Peter was stupid enough to get himself caught, or it has something to do with Harry," Remus answered, turning down the music enough so that they could have a discussion.

Ginny's face turned troubled. "Harry was going to try when I reminded him about Pettigrew. Obviously, he succeeded, but I just hope he wasn't caught," Ginny murmured, pulling out the parchment which was covered with words she and Harry had written.

"Contact him and make sure," Sirius suggested, his excited mood fading slightly.

Ginny shook her head. "He's always in training at this time," she informed them, then sat down on the couch worriedly.

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**A/N - Reviews are welcomed graciously and their senders are rewarded with virtual chocolate.**


	32. Danger

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - My personal life has taken a bit of a nasty turn, and on top of that I just spent the last week away from home, with limited internet connection, so this chapter is a little late. Sorry about that. Still, I hope to get the next chapter out soon, possibly even tomorrow.

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**~~~ Chapter** **Thirty** **One ~~~**

Harry sent one last jabbing curse at Voldemort, which caused Voldemort's wand to go flying across the room. Voldemort stared at Harry with narrowed eyes as Harry stood, panting slightly after the long work out.

"Very good, Harry," Voldemort complimented.

Harry nodded his head in a slight bow. "He has been trained well," a voice declared. They both turned to see Lucius standing in the doorway, looking impressed that Harry had managed to disarm the Dark Lord.

"Yes. What do you want, Lucius?" Voldemort asked, picking up his fallen wand.

"I have news, My Lord," Lucius stated with a bow of respect.

"You are finished, Harry," Voldemort dismissed the boy.

Harry nodded once again at Voldemort and walked across the room. The door was closed behind him, but he paused to listen through it.

"The imbecile Pettigrew has been caught and given the dementors kiss. Black has been declared innocent," Lucius informed Voldemort.

Harry smiled slightly, but then clenched his teeth as his scar flared up in pain.

Stumbling down the hallway, Harry cursed under his breath. As soon as he reached his room, he took a pain relieving potion, which Voldemort had made Snape supply for occasions such as this.

Harry went to his hiding place and pulled out the parchment that he had enchanted. With a grimace as the pain finally subsided, Harry wrote.

_Ginny? _

The reply came quickly. Obviously, she had been waiting for him to contact her.

_Harry! Are you okay? Does You-Know-Who suspect you? How did you do it?_

Harry smiled.

_I'm fine, besides my scar. Voldemort is furious. How could he possibly suspect me? He has no reason to, I am a model heir. As to how I did it….it was simple. Pettigrew is a fool._

Ginny's reply didn't surprise him in the slightest.

_That's good. We were worried. Sirius wants to write to you._

The writing paused, and then Sirius' print showed up on the parchment.

_Harry? That was brilliant! When are you coming home?_

Harry heard footsteps outside his door and quickly scribbled his answer before shoving the parchment back into its hiding place.

**~~~TB~~~**

_Soon._

Sirius stared at the answer. "Soon. He says he's coming home soon. I wonder what progress he has made?" Sirius murmured.

"He is very vague when he talks to me about his progress. I think he feels guilty about what he is doing," Ginny informed him.

"I'm sure he is," Remus agreed.

Sirius went back to the parchment.

_How soon?_

They waited several minutes, but Harry didn't respond and it left them all feeling worried again.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry stood in his bedroom, late at night. He had a book open in front of him and was reaching intently, whispering the words as he read.

Finally, he put the book down, straightened up, and closed his eyes to concentrate.

After a few moments of concentrating, he murmured a low spell under his breath. A bright light filled the room and Harry opened his eyes to see a glowing animal prowl around the room for several minutes before it disintegrated back into its original form of nothingness.

Harry smiled contentedly at the form. He was almost ready.

**~~~TB~~~**

Voldemort had been in a irritable mood in the last week, and it was rubbing off on Harry. Not only was his scar constantly aching, but The Dark Lord pushed him harder than ever in lessons, and was rougher with Harry if he didn't get something immediately.

After a week of this, Harry left his lesson in a sour mood, having been punished more harshly than usual. Out in the hallway, he bumped into Snape, who raised an eyebrow at him, silently questioning the scowl that was present on his face.

Harry didn't speak to him, not that he usually did, but pushed past the older man and continued back to his bedroom.

Harry slammed the door to his bedroom behind him and collapsed into a chair near the fireplace. He groaned as he stretched out his sore muscles.

Harry was used to working hard. Being on the run had made him nearly constantly rushing around, hiking miles without pausing. The thought made him frown. He felt a painful ache in his heart at the thought of his Godfather. He lingered on the thought of the man for a while. If only he could just see him for a short time, it would help everything.

Harry glanced at the clock. He had nothing to do for the rest of the day. He didn't have to attend the dinner meal, and he doubted that someone would unexpectedly drop in on him.

Making up his mind, Harry stood and strode across the room to the window. He yanked it open and breathed in some fresh air.

The window was small and Harry just barely fit through it, but he managed and landed smoothly on the ground with a grace that he had only achieved with his recent training.

Glancing in both directions, Harry walked across the wilted lawn and disappeared into the forest surrounding the manor. He crossed the wards and without a second thought, apparated away.

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**A/N - Review, please.**


	33. Family

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Here's the chapter I promised.

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**Chapter Thirty Two**

Sirius start and looked over at the door as a loud knock rang out. Remus and Dora paused in their whispered conversation on the far side of the room and Ginny looked up from the book she had been looking through.

"Who could that be?" Remus questioned, standing.

Ginny, who was closest, stood and walked through the doorway to the kitchen and pulled opened the door. The three adults behind her couldn't see who was at the door, but they heard a sharp squeal of joy come from Ginny and a low chuckle. Sirius stood and saw Harry's face looking over Ginny's shoulder as she hugged the boy tightly.

"Harry!" Sirius called out in surprise.

Harry smiled at the man as Ginny pulled him into the house and closed the door. "How did you get away? Is he gone? Are you here for good?" Ginny questioned, her voice higher than usual from excitement.

"I can't stay for long. Nobody knows I'm gone. I just…" Harry paused, looking around at the friendly faces, "I just needed some encouragement."

Ginny looked mildly disappointed, but pulled Harry over to the couch regardless. He sat down and those he considered his family gathered around him.

"How is everything going in the Snake's den?" Sirius asked after letting Harry go from a tight hug.

"Voldemort has been in a horrid mood for a while. I'm not sure why, but I suspect it involves your freedom," Harry informed Sirius.

Harry saw Sirius' expression. "I don't blame you, at all, Sirius. Don't worry about it. He is just harder on me during training, not that I'm complaining. I'm improving faster than ever. I've disarmed Voldemort every single training session in the last five days," he told them.

"He is allowing that?" Remus questioned, sounding sceptical.

"For now. He is training me to be his heir, after all. It's not just duelling. He's also teaching me wandless magic, dark magic, ancient magic, and potions. I'm also teaching myself a few other helpful skills," Harry told them.

Remus looked mildly impressed.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius was sorry when Harry declared he had to leave and stood up. Sirius gave him a parting hug, then stepped back to allow him and Ginny some privacy. As Harry had a whispered conversation with the red head, he studied the boy. He couldn't really be considered a boy any more, Sirius mused, he was definitely able to defend himself in a fight. What worried Sirius, though, was the aura of darkness that Harry seemed to radiate. Sure, he still acted like himself, mostly, but there was a touch of darkness there. He didn't seemed fazed with death, or darkness, or any of the other atrocities that Voldemort and his followers did.

Harry was definitely not the young, scared boy who Sirius had helped in Azkaban. Remus seemed to notice the differences as well. They exchanged a meaningful glance with each other.

Harry soon said a final goodbye and let himself out the door of the house. There was a silence after he left.

Ginny left soon afterward without saying a word. She looked saddened about something Harry had told her.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry slid through the window after arriving back at Voldemort's Lair and glanced around the room. Everything seemed as he left it.

Harry stepped over to the bed and flipped on the lamp, then stopped in surprise. In the chair sat Lucius Malfoy, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and looking stern.

"Where have you been, Potter?" he questioned.

Harry searched his mind for an answer, but didn't come up with one fast enough.

"The Dark Lord will hear about this. You're lucky that he left this afternoon and will be gone for two weeks, or he would have killed you on the spot," Lucius continued.

"What are you going to do about it?" Harry questioned, his voice not wavering at all. Inside, Harry was cursing himself. His excursion outside the headquarters was also more trouble than it had been worth.

"Unfortunately, I can't do anything about it. Things will carry on as normal until the Dark Lord returns. After that, well, things may get messy," Lucius informed him.

Lucius turned and swept out of the room, and Harry watched him go silently. He knew, once the Dark Lord returned, he would probably be killed. After all, the Dark Lord did not allow traitors in his midst.

Instead of preparing for bed, Harry opened a book that was sitting nearby and began studying it. If he was going to be taken down, he was going to take as many deatheaters as he could down with him, and Voldemort himself as well.

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**A/N - Uh oh, Harry's in trouble now! The end of this fanfic is drawing near, probably only three or four more chapters left, but no worries, I'm starting a new fanfic after this one is complete, which will hopefully be liked as well as this one. Please review.**


	34. Progress

**Disclaimer**: I'm really getting tired of this, you know. By thirty four chapters, you should know that I don't own Harry Potter yet.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Big chapter here. Hope you enjoy it.

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**~~~ Chapter Thirty Three ~~~**

Harry knew he was in trouble. For one, Voldemort was back, and he was angry. For another, Lucius had a very smug look on his face as he informed Harry that the Dark Lord wanted to see him.

Harry was prepared, however. He had been training himself in the time that Voldemort had been gone and he thought he might have the upper hand if Voldemort decided that he was going to die.

Outside the door to Voldemort's throne room, Harry paused as he heard Voldemort speaking inside the room. It wasn't clear, but Harry heard enough.

"…betray me….impossible…die…." came Voldemort's voice

"How….immortal," an unfamiliar voice said.

Voldemort's voice was very soft and Harry had to strain to hear. "…horcruxes…..my soul…seven….."

Harry frowned. What were horcruxes?

Then Harry heard something that was very clear.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Knowing that the conversation was done, Harry knocked on the door. A moment later, he entered on Voldemort's command. He found that Voldemort was alone, with only the body of the man he had been speaking with in the room.

"Ah, Harry," Voldemort greeted. His voice was light and pleasant now, and Harry's scar suddenly became very much less painful.

"I have something of great importance I need you to do for me. This man," Voldemort waved a careless hand toward the body, "has betrayed me, along with several other deatheaters. I wish you to lead a group of faithful followers to their hideout and destroy them."

Harry was surprised. "You want me to lead a mission?"

Voldemort considered him. "The time that you have spent with me has given me a lot of time to study you, and I believe you to be faithful to me. You are, perhaps, my most loyal follower, hence why you have been chosen to become my heir," he stated.

Harry nodded expressionlessly, but inside, his heart was leaping for joy. Voldemort trusted him a lot, which meant that he could get away with a lot more without suspicion. His plans were going very well.

**~~~TB~~~**

_I'm afraid I can't talk much tonight. I have to lead a mission._

_To do what? _Ginny wrote back in question. She was once again in Sirius' kitchen, this time writing while eating dinner. Around her, Remus, Dora, and Sirius were all talking. They were used to her writing at random times during the day.

_Get rid of some deatheaters that betrayed Voldemort._

_That's ironic. _Ginny commented.

_Yes, it is, isn't it? Still, I need you and the others to do something for me. _

_Anything._

_Look up what horcruxes are, will you? _Harry requested.

_I will. Any particular reason?_

_I believe they are something that is keeping Voldemort immortal. I think he has seven._ Harry told her.

Ginny stared at the parchment. Voldemort was immortal?

"Ginny? What did he say?" Sirius asked.

Ginny looked up to see the other three staring at her.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about horcruxes, would you?" she asked.

Sirius' face darkened. "I do, actually. Why? Harry isn't planning on making one, is he?" he looked concerned.

"No. Evidently, Voldemort has one, or rather, seven of them," Ginny explained.

Sirius went very pale. Ginny glanced at Remus and Dora to see that they were both looking mildly confused.

"Sirius, what exactly are horcruxes?" Remus asked.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry stumbled as he walked through the library, researching once again. He had spent many nights there lately, ever since Sirius had told him what horcruxes were. He was trying to find out what all seven of Voldemort's horcruxes were, so he could send Sirius and Remus out to destroy them.

Harry's stumbling knocked him into a shelf and the shelf fell, books tumbling off of it. Harry cursed, hoping that nobody had heard him. He had a perfect right to be in the library, but someone might question why he was in here so late. It was past midnight, he knew.

Nobody came and Harry began to gather up the books and setting them back on the shelf. Harry paused as he picked up one particular book, which was leather bound and had no title. Harry flipped it open curiously and found that it was hand-written. He recognised Voldemort's handwriting.

Looking around, Harry tucked the book into his robes and continued cleaning up his mess. Afterward, he silently made his way back to his bedroom and got ready for bed.

Once in bed, Harry pulled out the book and opened to the first page. He began reading, and as he did so, he smirked in glee. He had just found his guide to killing Voldemort.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius groaned as an annoying tapping noise filled his ears. He opened his eyes and glanced around, searching for whatever was making the noise, so he could make it shut up.

At the window, there was a black owl which Sirius faintly recognised. He couldn't figure out who it belonged to though, as he was still mostly asleep.

Sirius grabbed the small package from the owl, yawning, and sat on the bed to look at it. Attached was a letter and Sirius opened it to read. Suddenly, he was very awake.

"Remus!" Sirius jumped up and rushed out of the room. "Remus!"

Remus came stumbling into the hall. "What is it, Sirius?"

"Look what Harry sent us!" Sirius insisted, and shoved the small package and letter into Remus' hands.

Remus read over the letter, and soon, he was just as awake as his friend.

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**A/N - Hmm, is Voldemort actually a closet poet? Review!**


	35. Irony

**Disclaimer:** Check the previous chapters if you really aren't sure about this yet.

**The Brotherhood**

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**A/N - The pace is picking up big time here. I have the next chapter and a half written, so you get to choose how fast the chapters come out. If I get enough reviews, the next chapter will come out tonight. If I get some reviews, but not a lot, it'll come out tomorrow. It I get hardly any reviews at all, you'll have to wait until Friday to read the next chapter. Remember, every review counts! **

**Oh, and if you haven't read the sixth & seventh books yet (shame on you, if you haven't!) then this chapter contains some big SPOILERS!**

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**~~~ Chapter Thirty Four ~~~**

"Okay, so our first plan of action is to get all the horcruxes, and then we can figure out to destroy them," Sirius said. He was sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by Tonks, Ginny, Remus, and Dumbledore.

"We know the location of all the items, but it is still going to be hard to find them. There is the Diadem of Ravenclaw, which is hidden somewhere in Hogwarts. In the book, he calls it the 'Room of Hidden Things'. Unfortunately, none of us have ever discovered something like that before," Sirius continued.

"The next horcrux is Hufflepuff's Cup, which is hidden in the Lestrange Vault. Then, there's Slytherin's Locket, which is hidden in some cave with a lake of infuri surrounding it," Remus added.

"The leaves the Gaunt family ring, which is hidden is the Gaunt shack in Little Hangleton, and the snake, Nagini, which will have to be killed last minute, probably by Harry," Sirius finished.

"I thought there are seven of them?" Ginny questioned.

"The other two would be the diary that Malfoy gave you in second year which Harry destroyed with Basilisk venom, and Voldemort himself," Remus explained.

Ginny shuddered at the memory of the diary.

"We'll divide these up between the four adults, and hopefully have them all gathered within the week," Sirius stated.

"I will search Hogwarts for the Diadem," Dumbledore said.

"I'll go to Little Hangleton," Remus murmured.

"I might be able to get into the Lestrange Vault, with my mum's help," Dora said.

"That leaves me with the locket," Sirius said determinedly.

"I'll let Harry know the plan," Ginny said, determined to be helping. She had fought earlier with Sirius when he said that she would not be allowed to help with finding the horcruxes, but he had won, and she had to sit out.

**~~~TB~~~**

_The plan is simple. They each claimed a horcrux, and they're going to find it within the next week. _Ginny explained.

Harry frowned. _Tell them to be careful. I don't know if Voldemort will realise if his horcruxes suddenly start disappearing, but when he finds out, things will get dangerous for us all._

_Exactly why you need to be extra careful. By the way, Sirius left you Nagini to kill, probably at last minute. I was thinking that you might kill her sooner, but make it look like an accident. _Ginny proposed.

_That might work. _Harry agreed, though he already had a plan in mind. The last stage of his plan was going exactly how it was supposed to.

**~~~TB~~~**

Dumbledore wandered through the castle, searching for hidden rooms or passages, or anything that could possibly be hiding Voldemort's horcrux. He had borrowed the Marauder's Map for the occasion, but he had yet to find anything.

As he walked, Dumbledore wondered just how Voldemort had managed to get his hands on the Diadem, and when he had managed to hid it in the castle. The second part was easy enough, Dumbledore supposed. It was probably when he had come seeking a job.

Dumbledore nodded politely at the Grey Lady as she floated by. It was a mystery he would never have the answer to.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus walked down the silent street toward Little Hangleton, his eyes focused on the small shack that he could see faintly through the bushes. It was very overgrown and falling apart, but Remus supposed that it probably hadn't been occupied in many years.

He carefully stepped into the building, and raised his wand. He murmured, "Lumos," and his wand lit up, revealing that the shack he stood in was in worse condition than he had thought.

Seeing no sign of anywhere obvious that the ring could be hidden, Remus closed his eyes and concentrated on the spell that Dumbledore had revealed to him. It was a spell that revealed where darkness was. Dark magic in particular. Still, as he cast the spell, he could see himself glowing slightly. A werewolf was a dark creature.

The majority of the light, which was what represented the dark magic, was on a small area under some floor boards. Remus cautiously waved his wand, moving the boards sideways, revealing a black box underneath.

Remus stepped forward, examining the box for spells. Finding none, he tried to open it, but found it was locked. Casting a quick unlocking spell, Remus opened the box. He was quick surprised to find that there was nothing inside the box except a ring with a black stone on it.

Suddenly, Remus had an urge to put the ring on. He fought against it, his rational side asking why he should put on the ring. The ring's power was strong though, and Remus reached out slowly to the ring.

As soon as he touched it, Remus knew he was in trouble. Suddenly, he had no control of himself. The ring was slipped on his finger and then he felt excruciating pain coming from the finger where the ring was.

Remus had a lot of experience fighting against something he could hardly control, and this was the only reason he was able to yank the ring off his finger and throw it across the room. Still, the pain in his finger lingered, and grew until it encompassed his entire hand.

Knowing he had to finish this right, he strode across the room, grasped the ring in a now gloved hand, and apparated away to the only place that he knew he could get medical support; Hogwarts.

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**A/N - Remember, review! Oh, and check out the OneShot I wrote today out of boredom. It's called The Wrong Grate.**


	36. Impossibility

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood**

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**A/N - This chapter is probably boring, but the next will be exciting, promise, and it will be posted tomorrow morning, as soon as I wake up.**

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**~~~ Chapter Thirty Five ~~~**

Dora stood in front of her mum's door, biting her lip at what she knew would be a nearly impossible task. How was she supposed to convince her mum to help her?

Dora drew in a deep breath, then knocked on the door. It opened quickly, and Dora found her dad standing there.

"Dora!" he cried out, excited, then he pulled his daughter into a hug.

Dora pulled away quicker than she usually did. "Hello, is mum here?" Dora questioned softly.

Teddy Tonks looked put out that his daughter was nearly rejected him for his wife, but he answered, "Yes. She's in the sitting room."

"Thanks," Dora murmured, then passed her dad to go to her mum.

Andromeda looked up, startled at her daughter's sudden appearance.

"Nymphadora! What a surprise," Andromeda murmured.

Dora wrinkled her nose at the despised name.

"Mum, I need to ask you something,"

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius stood at the entrance of a cave, which was partially filled with water. He was staring intensely at the walls around him. He raised his wand and cast the spell that would reveal dark magic. The result was almost blinding, but there was one place that lit up more than the others. Sirius headed there and placed a hand against the wall.

Sirius closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to remember back to his days of auror training. He had taken a whole course on how to get past barriers such as this. If only he could remember them.

"What were the three possibilities? Magic, password, or blood," Sirius muttered to himself.

Deciding to try the easiest first, Sirius cast several blasting spells at the wall. Nothing happened. Sirius cursed.

Hoping that it didn't require a password, Sirius opted for the next easiest. Blood. He cut himself swiftly on the palm of his hand and wiped the blood onto the wall. To his relief, the wall dissolved and Sirius was permitted entrance.

Sirius stepped forward and healed his palm. He couldn't allow himself to be too weakened.

Sirius looked around. He was standing on a rocky shore beside a lake. In the middle of the lake came a green glow.

"Okay, probably want to get to that glow," Sirius muttered, looking around.

Deciding that the best course of action was to circle the lake, Sirius began to walk.

**~~~TB~~~**

"I need the key," Dora stated bluntly.

"Key?" Andromeda repeated confused.

"When I was six, Auntie Bella came to you and offered you a position in the Dark Lord's ranks. You rejected her. She left you a key to the Lestrange Vault, telling you to go into hiding. You rejected her again, but she left without taking the key. I need that key," Dora explained.

Andromeda shook her head. "No, Nymphadora. I threw that key away," she replied.

"I know you didn't," Dora told her.

"Why do you need it?" Andromeda changed the topic.

Dora sighed. "You do want Voldemort to fall, don't you?"

Andromeda's head jerked in surprise. "How does Bella's vault key have anything to do with _him _falling?"

Dora leaned forward. "It has everything to do with it,"

Andromeda looked at her dubiously.

"Look, mum, I'm going to get into that vault one way or another. Do you want to help me out of not?"

Andromeda sighed. "Don't do anything dangerous, _please, _Nymphadora?"

"I'll try," Dora responded, although she knew that everything she was doing right now was dangerous.

Andromeda stood and exited the room. Dora hoped that she was going to get the key, because she really didn't feel like attempting to break into Gringotts.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius made two loops around the lake before he finally stumbled, quite literally, upon an invisible chain, nearly sending himself head over heels into the water. Luckily, he caught himself and leaned down to grasp the chain in his hand. He tapped it with his wand and it became visible.

Sirius began pulling on the chain. After only a few moments, his arms were burning and chain seemed to be getting heavier. Sirius grunted as he dropped the chain and stared at it. There had to be an easier way.

Sirius searched through his mind for a spell that would help him out and he eventually found one. He tapped his wand on the chain and it came speeding through his hands and piled in a neat pile at his feet. Sirius smiled. This was much easier, not to mention pain free.

At the end of the chain, Sirius found a boat. It looked rather unsteady, but Sirius figured that it would work. After all, how was Voldemort supposed to get across the lake? This was obviously here so he could use it.

Sirius clambered into the boat, careful not to tip it. As soon as he was in and settled, the boat started on its way, bringing him closer to the glowing green light.

Sirius avoided looking down into the water, as he knew there were inferi in it. He knew that much. What he didn't know was what he would find on the island. That hadn't been in the book.

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**A/N - Reviews are like chocolate. They are great when you're down, sweet to taste (or rather, read), and are a great way to show you appreciate someone, or someone's writing. So, give me a review, and I'll give you chocolate (virtual chocolate that is, unless you want to buy yourself a chocolate bar and pretend it's from me.)**


	37. Horror

**Disclaimer: **Not Mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**~~~ Chapter Thirty Six ~~~**

Ginny paced by the fireplace, waiting for anyone to come back. They had decided all to go on the same day, so if Voldemort realised that his Horcruxes were being found, hopefully, they would be able to get them all. It had been several hours since they all had left and Ginny was very worried. She knew that in all likeliness, they would take a while to retrieve, but she could hope that someone would be back by this point.

Plus, the waiting was driving her crazy. How could they leave her here alone? Ginny glanced at the clock. It was past six in the morning. She had been up all night.

"Mum wanted me home by seven," Ginny muttered to herself, "If nobody is back by then, I am going to have to do something about it."

**~~~TB~~~**

Dora walked down the street. She knew it was way too early for most people to be out and about, but Gringotts was open at all hours of the day and night, so it was fine for her to visit.

Dora walked past the two goblins at the doorway, who nodded to her in greeting.

The bank was deserted, as far has humans were. Several goblins were there, busy doing whatever they did when humans weren't around to bother them.

Dora walked up to the counter and one of the goblins looked up at her.

"I need to get into the Lestrange vault," Dora stated, handing the goblin the key.

The goblin took the key and examined it suspiciously before casting another suspicious look at Dora.

"It looks like all is in order. I'll find someone to take you down immediately," the goblin stated. He called back to another goblin, saying that they needed to take the clankers as well.

Dora followed a goblin carrying a bunch of metal in a bag which Dora assumed was the clankers.

The ride down to the vault was longer than Dora had ever experienced, and even though Dora didn't get motion sickness usually, this time, she felt decidedly sick.

Dora watched with wide eyes as the goblin shooed back the dragon with the clankers, and then opened the vault.

Dora glanced at the goblin, then entered. She couldn't believe that it was this easy.

Dora searched the shelves for what she was looking for and soon her eyes landed on a golden cup. She reached up and grabbed it, pleased that it was actually where it was supposed to be.

Tucking the cup into her robe, Dora looked around. She was sorely tempted to take something more, but decided against it. She didn't want to make anyone more suspicious than they already were.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius stepped off the boat onto the island. It was a small island, only containing a bowl filled with green liquid, which was what had been glowing. Stepping forward, Sirius studied the liquid carefully. He was sure that the locket had to be under the potion, and that he was going to have to drink it.

"Harry's going to kill me," Sirius muttered. If Harry knew that Sirius was doing something that he knew would probably kill him, he would definitely freak out. Unfortunately, getting rid of Voldemort was worth more than Sirius' life, and Sirius knew this.

Conjuring up a cup, Sirius dipped it into the green potion and scooped up a cupful. He drank it slowly, but surely, and grimaced at the taste.

He felt weakness set in almost immediately, and Sirius knew he had little time. He scooped up another cupful and swallowed it down quickly.

**~~~TB~~~**

Dora followed the goblin back into the cart, and sat patiently as the cart made it's way up to the entrance of the bank. Dora could feel the cup's weigh in her pocket and she felt unease by it. Part of Voldemort's soul was in this cup.

The cart reached the entrance and Dora exited the cave part of the bank, into the main entrance. As she entered, she paused. Something was off.

Looking around, she noticed that there seemed to be a tense air in the bank.

Dora kept gazing around as she walked across the room. She turned as she felt eyes on her.

A woman walked out of the shadows and smiled grimly at Dora. "Why hello, little Nymphadora. What were you doing in my vault?"

Dora drew in a sharp breath at the appearance of her aunt. Looking around, she saw that deatheaters surrounded her in all other directions. She was trapped.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius gasped for breath, wanting desperately to put the cup down and stop drinking the potion. However, he had experience with horrible memories, and was able to keep his concentration enough to finish the deed.

Sirius nearly let out a cheer when he felt the cup reach the bottom of the basin and he took the last of the potion. Relieved, Sirius reached into the basin and grasped the locket before he collapsed wearily to the ground.

Sirius knew he had to finish this. He crawled over the ground toward the boat, although he felt pain burning in his throat. He needed water. However, he didn't have even close to enough strength to cast a spell, and he knew that he couldn't go near the lake.

Finally, Sirius reached the boat and pulled himself into it. Pained as he was, he accidental touched the water, and as he did, a pale hand came out of the water and got a firm grasp on his wrist.

Sirius tried to pull away, but it was in vain. He was pulled under the water.

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**A/N - Double cliffhanger anyone?**


	38. Pain

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - You know how I said that there would only be a few more chapters a few chapters back? Well, I lied. Sorry, not that you need an apology for me making it longer, or anything. Anyway, it's turning out to be longer than I planned, but that means that it probably won't be finished before the end of the month like I planned, since starting next Monday, I'm going to be at camp, without my computer *cries* and then a whole other week at a family reunion after that which will give me zero time to write. So be prepared for a lack of chapters those two weeks. Until then, hopefully, I'll get a few chapters written and posted.

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**~~~ Chapter Thirty Seven ~~~**

Dumbledore watched Remus sadly as the werewolf lay on the bed. Remus' arm was almost completely black from the ring, and the curse which had been on it. Severus, luckily had been on hand and had been able to work with Madam Pomfrey to stop it. Still, they all knew that Remus would not survive with it very long.

"What if something similar to happening to Dora, or Sirius?" Remus asked, fully conscious. As a werewolf, he was able to stay conscious longer than most, and he wasn't going to allow himself to fall asleep until the other two came back.

"Dora is likely fine. She had the least risky mission. However, I will agree to get Sirius," Dumbledore murmured.

"Muppy!" Dumbledore called out. A house elf appeared in front of him and bowed low.

"Yes, Master Dumbly?"

"I wish for you to retrieve Sirius Black, and bring him here," Dumbledore stated.

"As you wish, Master Dumbly," the house elf squeaked and popped away.

"I'll just floo Miss Weasley and inform her we are all meeting here instead. Actually, Dora may actually be back at your house, waiting, and we just haven't look yet," Dumbledore tried to calm Remus.

Remus, however, still looked worried as Dumbledore left the room.

Dumbledore came back into the room a few moments later, Ginny tagging along behind him.

"Where's Dora?" Remus asked.

"Hasn't arrived yet," Ginny answered, frowning.

Suddenly, there was a pop and the house elf appeared with a soaking wet Sirius. Sirius collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

"Sirius!" Ginny cried, and ran toward him.

Ginny helped Sirius to sit up, but he pushed her away and vomited on the ground at her feet.

"I had to drink some potion. I think it was poison," Sirius croaked.

Remus paled. He knew he was dying, but what would happen to Harry if Sirius died as well?

Madam Pomfrey, who had entered the room a few seconds after Dumbledore, helped Sirius over to a bed and starting trying to figure out what the potion was.

"Did you get the horcrux?" Ginny questioned both of them.

Remus nodded and pointed to a box that was sitting on his bedside table. "It's in there," he told her.

Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a locket. Ginny rushed to grab it from him and studied it.

Dumbledore held out his hand. "Let me see,"

Ginny handed over the locket and Dumbledore looked it over intently. With a low sigh, he flipped it open and took out a note. "It is a fake," he declared.

"What?" Sirius protested, then started coughing. Madam Pomfrey scolded him.

"What does it say?" Remus asked.

" 'To the Dark Lord,' " Dumbledore read. " 'I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.'

" 'I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more.' And it is signed, R.A.B."

Sirius sat up in his bed, earning a reprimand from Madam Pomfrey. "Regulus!" he cried.

"What?" Ginny asked, confused.

"My brother, Regulus Arcturus Black. He was a deatheater, but disappeared a while ago, assumed dead. Voldemort must have killed him for his betrayal," Sirius explained, trailing off at the end.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "I think it's time we paid a visit to your old manor, Sirius,"

"Not right now," Madam Pomfrey protested, glaring at Dumbledore.

"Of course not," Dumbledore nodded.

"We shall leave as soon as possible. I will go back to searching for the diadem, and Miss Weasley, perhaps you should contact Harry," Dumbledore suggested, then left the room.

Ginny pulled out the parchment and a quill and contacted Harry.

**~~~ TB ~~~**

_Dumbledore hasn't found the diadem yet, but both Remus and Sirius are back. Sirius' turned out to be a fake, and we think his brother had the real one. We're going to go to Sirius' manor as soon as possible. _Ginny wrote.

_Sirius' manor? In Grimmauld Place? We've been there before haven't we? _Harry questioned.

_Yes, we stayed there awhile. That was before we knew anything about horcruxes though._

_Okay, then what about Dora? _Harry asked.

_She hasn't shown up yet._

Harry looked up as there was a knock on his door. He stuffed the parchment under his pillow, getting it hidden just before the door opened.

"The Dark Lord requests your presence," the anonymous deatheater stated.

Harry stood and left the room, following the deatheater back to the throne room, where he was surprised to see a lot of the deatheaters in the house gathered.

Also in the room was a prisoner. Harry couldn't tell who she was, but she was kneeling awkwardly in front of Voldemort, her hands tied behind her back in a painful looking manner.

"Bella has caught a us a new toy," Voldemort said with a smirk.

Harry frowned, he didn't usually participate in these kinds of things. Why did he have to be here?

The deatheaters formed a circle around the woman, and Harry unwillingly joined it.

"Harry, start the festivities," Voldemort ordered.

The woman turned to look at him and he had to hold in a gasp as he realised that it was Dora, in her true form. He hadn't recognised her without her usually bright coloured hair.

"Of course," Harry answered the Dark Lord. He kept his expression blank as he looked at Dora, even though her face silently pleaded him for help.

Raising his wand, Harry hoped that Dora would forgive him for this, and even more, he hoped Remus would forgive him.

"Crucio," Harry said. The curse came out of the wand and hit Dora. She screamed and the deatheaters laughed and joined in.

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**A/N - Seriously, people, did you really think I would kill off Sirius? He's my favorite character! I always had an escape route planned out for him. The other characters, however...if you review, I may just allow them to live.**


	39. Discovery

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - I spent all of today cleaning and organizing my room, and I'm totally wiped out from it. Who knew that my room was actually that messy? You're getting this chapter only because it was prewritten a couple days ago.

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**~~~ Chapter Thirty Eight ~~~**

Harry crept through the manor when everything was silent. He glanced both directions, then slipped through the door leading to the dungeons and walked down the hall. He came to the only occupied cell.

Dora looked up, her eyes wide in the darkness.

Harry sighed as he saw her again. She looked horrible, having been tortured earlier. He winced at her expression. She feared him.

"I'm sorry, Dora," he murmured softly. "I had to."

Dora frowned, but moved forward to him. "Are you still on our side?" Dora questioned.

"Of course," Harry replied.

"No, Harry. Promise me. Tell me that you are still on the right side, that you haven't turned dark enough to reverse it and come back. Please?" Dora begged him.

Harry hesitated and Dora sighed, looking upset.

"Dora, I," Harry paused, drew a breath, then said, "I swear, on my parents' graves, that I have not turned dark enough that I will never return to you, Sirius, Remus, and Ginny."

Dora looked relieved. She reached into a little hidden pocket within her robes and pulled out a cup.

"Is that…?"

"Hufflepuff's Cup, yes," Dora answered his unasked questioned. "I managed to hide it so when they took my wand and emergency Auror portkey, they didn't take this. I can't do anything about it, but you can destroy it."

Harry reached through the bars and took the cup, tucking it deep into his robes. "I'll destroy it as soon as possible," he vowed.

Dora nodded.

"I'll contact the others and see if we can work something out to get you out of here, as well," Harry informed her.

"Thank you, Harry," Dora murmured.

Harry nodded, then he turned and disappeared into the shadows.

**~~~TB~~~**

Dumbledore walked along the seventh floor, mostly wandering now rather than searching. He was broken out of his thoughts by a voice calling him. He turned and saw Ginny rushing toward him. He walked back down the hall to her.

"Harry says he knows where Dora is! Deatheaters captured her, but she had the horcrux and now Harry has it and is trying to destroy it," Ginny reported.

"That only leaves the diadem and the one in Sirius' manor," Dumbledore mused. He turned to speak to Ginny. "Prepare Sirius and Remus, we will leave immediately."

Ginny nodded and rushed off in the direction she had come. Dumbledore turned and continued down the hall, now thinking about how much he had to find that horcrux.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, a door appeared. Dumbledore cautiously went over and opened it. He drew in a sharp breath. The room was filled with many, many things, seemingly gathered over time.

"The Room of Hidden Things," Dumbledore whispered.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius grimaced as he entered the house the house of his childhood, Remus and Dumbledore following behind. Ginny had elected to stay at Hogwarts and keep track of what Harry was doing.

"May I suggest that we speak to Kreacher first?" Dumbledore suggested.

"Fine," Sirius agreed. "Kreacher!"

The wrinkled old house elf appeared and gave a grudging bow to Sirius.

"Kreacher, did Regulus ever bring a locket here?" Sirius asked him.

Kreacher's eyes widened. "No," he replied, none the less.

Sirius glanced at Dumbledore.

"Kreacher, is there a locket here that Regulus got?" Dumbledore tried.

Kreacher didn't answer.

"Answer the question, Kreacher!" ordered Sirius.

Kreacher looked hesitant. "Yes," he unwillingly answered.

"Where is it?" Sirius was eager now. He had nearly died for this locket, after all. He wanted to be done with it.

"Upstairs," Kreacher answered, not being helpful.

"Go get it, Kreacher, and bring it to me," Sirius commanded.

Kreacher fought it, but he could not disobey the order, so he apparated away and appeared back a few moments later. In his hand, he held a locket, and they all instantly recognised it as Slytherin's Locket. The horcrux.

Sirius took the locket from Kreacher's unwilling grasp and help it up. "This is the real thing," he stated.

**~~~TB~~~**

_We've got all the horcruxes that we can access. You have the cup and Nagini to take care of, right? _ Ginny asked.

_Yeah. I was going to take the cup out and destroy it with fiendfyre. _Harry said.

_The problem with us is that we don't know what to destroy the horcruxes with, besides fiendfyre, which is far too dangerous. _Ginny wrote.

_Well, there was a basilisk wandering around a few years ago. _Harry reminded.

_The basilisk! _ Ginny abruptly cut off.

"Professor, what about Basilisk venom?" Ginny asked suddenly. Sirius and Remus, now back in the hospital wing with an irritable Madam Pomfrey, had been discussing how to destroy the horcruxes with Dumbledore while Ginny wrote to Harry.

Dumbledore looked up, his eyes widening. "The sword," he murmured, then stood and left the room. The three were left behind with puzzled expressions.

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**A/N - Review, please.**


	40. Destroyed

**Disclaimer:** What if JK Rowling had a fanfiction account? Would she have to write a disclaimer for her fanfics?

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**A/N - Well, this'll probably be the last chapter before I leave for two weeks. I'll try to write a few chapters over the break and then post then as soon as I have my laptop back again. Don't worry, I didn't leave you a cliff hanger, although I was sorely tempted.

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**~~~ Chapter Thirty Nine ~~~**

Harry was very aware that what he was about to do was very dangerous, and that if he was caught, he would be killed, but he was prepared to take the risk. He slid out the window, made his way to the edge of the wards, and then disapparated to a secluded place, where his plan would take place.

It was a large field with nothing in sight except an old shack, which was falling apart. Sirius and Harry had spent a night here when they had been travelling after escaping Azkaban.

Harry placed Hufflepuff's cup on the dirt ground of the shack and covered it with some boards, which had come from one of the fallen walls.

Harry made his way out of the shack and stood back far enough so that he was safe enough. With a grim expression, he cast a spell that he had never performed, but that he had been taught by Voldemort himself. The Fiendfyre spell.

Knowing that he had probably just ruined this farmer's crops, Harry apparated away.

**~~~TB~~~**

Dumbledore returned to the room with a sword. Ginny recognised it instantly as the Sword of Gryffindor, which Harry had defeated the Basilisk with.

"A sword won't work, Albus," Remus said, watching the professor.

"This one will. Harry killed the basilisk in his second year with it, and since it is goblin made, the basilisk venom was impregnated into the sword," Dumbledore explained.

Sirius warily took out the three horcruxes they had and placed them on a table in the centre of the room.

Dumbledore studied the three objects for a few moments, his eyes lingering almost longingly on the ring. Finally, he rose the sword, held it up in the air for a moment, looking hesitant, then brought it down on the ring, cutting it in two. A scream came from the ring.

"I think it worked," Sirius said excitedly.

"Can I do the next one," Ginny asked, staring at the diadem.

Dumbledore silently handed Ginny the sword and she swung it up and then stabbed it into the diadem. Like the ring, the horcrux was destroyed.

"I want to do the locket," Sirius whispered.

Ginny handed Sirius the sword and Sirius weighed it in his hands. He focused on the unbroken locket, raised the sword, then shouted, "For Regulus!" and brought the sword down on the locket.

There was a silence in the room that was broken only when Ginny started scribbling away on the parchment to Harry, informing him that all the horcruxes that were in their possession were taken care of.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry smiled contentedly as soon as he heard that all the horcruxes were destroyed. All that was left was Nagini and Voldemort himself.

As he got ready for bed, finally, he focused on the idea that soon he would be free from this act and he would be able to go back to Sirius, and to spend some quality time with Ginny, that was, of course, if they would take him back.

Harry desperately hoped that they would, he was, after all, a criminal in the sights of most of the world, and if they didn't take him in again, he didn't know what he would do.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius was feeling much better. Madam Pomfrey, with the reluctant help of Snape, had been able to figure out how to counteract the potion Sirius had taken, and the nurse had even allowed Sirius to leave the hospital wing, with the promise that he wouldn't drink any more questionable potions.

Sirius hadn't left, though. He sat in the chair next to his best friend's bed, watching the man sleep. He hadn't really believed it when he heard that Remus was dying. Sure, it was still over a year away, Madam Pomfrey predicted, but Sirius couldn't bear the thought that he would be alone.

Remus had been a constant since his very first year of Hogwarts, always there to stop his more crazy plans, and to help out with the ones that Sirius couldn't be talked out of. Even after Hogwarts, when things had mostly fallen apart and Sirius didn't really trust anyone, besides James and Lily, Remus was always there. After Azkaban, Remus had willingly forgiven him, and had taken him back. Their friendship had been strengthened by the separation.

Sirius felt wetness on his cheek and he rubbed it away with his hand, then stared at the glistening water on his hand. He was crying, he realised belatedly.

Sirius couldn't find it in himself to care. His best friend was dying, for Merlin's sake! Sirius buried his face in his hands. All he could hope for was that Harry's crazy plan worked, because if it didn't, well, let's just say that Sirius wasn't planning to live if there wasn't anything to live for.

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**A/N - Until I post again, you can occupy your time with this: Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated. Yes, it's true. I dare you to try it.**


	41. Remembering

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**A/N - I'm back! I wrote a whole bunch on my novel today and felt great, but was tired of writing. Then, I suddenly remembered that I was also supposed to be writing a fanfic. Luckily, this chapter was already written so I could post it today. There's very little plot, it's mostly just a filler chapter. Still, I hope you like it.

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**

**~~~ Chapter Forty ~~~ **

Harry wandered down the corridor in boredom, as Voldemort had finally decided that Harry had enough training. In his exact words, "Any more and you may just be able to kill me." Harry silently agreed, but thought that it had happened before Voldemort had stopped, but only because Harry had powers of which Voldemort knew nothing.

A scream cut through Harry's thoughts like a knife, but Harry pushed it away. Screams were fairly common in Voldemort Lair. Then, Harry remembered just who was in the dungeons, probably being tormented at the moment.

Harry spun around and sprinted to the dungeon entrance, which he flung open and rushed down the stairs. He slowed as he reached the bottom and walked down the hallway casually, although he couldn't hide a wince at another of Dora's screams.

He finally arrived at Dora's cell and saw that she was surrounded by three deatheaters, who were quite enjoying themselves.

"Hey!" Harry stopped them. They all looked up at him and their eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't often that they saw Harry down in the dungeons. He usually stayed far away from any and all prisoners.

"Potter," greeted one of the deatheaters.

Dora looked up at the name, and her wide eyes fell on Harry. She silently pleaded with him for help and he obliged.

"Malfoy is searching for the three of you," Harry informed them, never mind that the man was not even at the lair, and that Harry couldn't even identify the three men.

The three deatheaters straightened up. "Why does he want us?" one of them asked.

"I think he wanted an answer to something. Go, now!" Harry ordered.

The deatheaters knew not to obey the second-in-command to their Lord, so they quickly tucked their wands away and rushed out of the cell, closing it behind them. Harry watched them until they were out of sight, then turned to Dora.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Harry nodded in response, his face carefully blank. He strode away, not looking back. He knew he had messed up. If anyone investigated this incident too far, they would realise that the whole thing was a lie and that Harry was protecting Dora.

He sighed. Sometimes it was a curse that he cared so much for some people, but he still hoped that it wouldn't change. Thoughts of Ginny, Sirius, Remus, and Dora were the only things keeping him sane in this impossible situation.

**~~~TB~~~**

Remus awake suddenly and looked around him. It only took a moment to look around and realise where he was, and then another moment to remember what he was doing there. He took a double take as he saw Sirius, asleep at his bedside. His best friend's face was tearstained, and though he was asleep, he looked troubled.

Remus sat up and stretched, wincing as he felt the pain in his arm. He was no stranger to pain, but this was worse than he had experienced. Madam Pomfrey had him on a lot of pain medication, but its use would fade fast, and Remus would just have to deal with it.

Sirius startled awake, and blinked blearily up at the werewolf.

Remus gave him a half grin. "Were you crying?" he asked, his voice joking.

Sirius wiped at his face, but it had been long enough that there was no moisture on his cheeks. "No," he denied instantly.

Remus smirked. "Oh really? I think you were. The great Sirius Black was crying," Remus declared.

Sirius shook his head. "Impossible. I don't even have tears glands," Sirius said, his voice pompous.

Remus turned serious then. "I'd cry too, Padfoot, if the situation were reversed," he said softly.

Sirius frowned. "You can't leave me, Moony," he said, pleading slightly. "Remember the pledge?"

Remus nodded, a small smile coming back. "We were so naïve back then," he murmured.

Sirius shook his head. "We may have been, but the pledge still means something to me. Peter and James are gone, in the most permanent way, but we're still here. We have to keep it," Sirius declared. "I can't be the last Marauder."

"James and you always fought over who was going to live the longest. Peter was too weak minded and we always knew my lycanthropy would take me long before the pair of you. James always said you'd go first, because you were the most rash. Ironic, then, that James was the first to go. At least you were right,"

"I was wrong. I don't want to be alone,"

"You're wrong? I thought you were the King of Rightness," Remus reminded Sirius of his self declared title after many won arguments.

Sirius smiled at the memory.

"Plus, you won't be alone. Ginny and Harry will be around. And Dora too," Remus continued.

"That isn't the same, and you know it Moony. Harry used to be enough, he helped me survive and escape Azkaban, but he's changed. You saw him when he visited us. He almost reminded me of, well, my family. There's a reason I ran away as a teenager," Sirius said.

Remus shook his head. "Harry is nothing like your family. He joined Voldemort to protect Ginny, and he's continuing on to protect us. He's doing it all based on his love,"

Sirius sighed and there was silence in the room.

"I just wish everything could have gone better. James, Lily, and Peter accompanying us to Harry's Quidditch game with all Prong's many offspring, the bunch of us cheering for Harry until he blushes bright red before he retrieves the snitch right under the other seeker's nose in some spectacular dive,"

"Prong's many offspring?" Remus repeated.

"Remember, James always said he wanted at least ten kids. Lily vetoed the idea, and said they'd go for five at most. Sad that they only ended up with the one, although Harry is probably the best kid that they could have ever produced," Sirius reminisced.

Remus nodded, remembering. It really was a pity that the world had ended up this way.

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**A/N - Please review.**


	42. Sacrifice

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**A/N - Here you go, hope you like it.

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**

**~~~ Chapter Forty One ~~~**

"Potter!"

Harry turned to see Lucius walking toward him, an superior look on his face.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Dark Lord wishes to see you," he stated, a grim smile entering his face as he said it.

Harry felt his stomach lurch. Had He found out about his protecting of Dora?

"I'll go immediately," Harry replied, his face expressionless.

Lucius nodded and strode away in the opposite direction.

Harry made his way to the throne room, where he knew Voldemort would be waiting for him.

Knocking at the door, he pushed it open and found Voldemort sitting on the throne. Two deatheaters stood along the wall.

"Harry," Voldemort greeted.

Harry nodded his head respectfully.

Voldemort signalled to one of the deatheaters and they left.

Harry stood completely still and let Voldemort study him for the few minutes they were alone. Voldemort seemed to be contemplating something. He had a frown on his face that was deepening further with every moment.

The doors opened and the two deatheaters appeared again, this time dragging a prisoner. Dora.

Harry forced himself not to react. He was sure, now, that this was about his protecting of Dora.

Dora looked up at Harry, her eyes wide. Harry avoided her eyes.

"Harry, you have proven yourself to be faithful to me time and time again. Due to….certain recent events, I need one last test of loyalty," Voldemort said.

Harry nodded. "Of course," he stated firmly.

Voldemort's mouth quirked up in a smile. "Good. Harry, I want you to kill her,"

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius walked with Remus, fresh out of the hospital wing, through the castle. School was still in session and students gaped at the pair of them as they walked by. They had, of course, heard of Sirius Black, and although he was now proclaimed innocent, many of them shied away from them.

Sirius ignored them.

"Sirius, Remus," Ginny caught the attention of them as soon as they entered the Entrance Hall.

"Ginny," Sirius nodded at her.

Ginny walked over to them. "Dumbledore insists I continue school, so I won't be going back with you," she said, her mouth turning down in a frown. "I wouldn't do it, except he had my mum order it."

"We'll keep you in the loop, Ginny, don't worry. You'll know as soon as is possible when something happens," assured Remus.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"Ginny!" a delighted voice came from the staircase. Ginny turned to see Luna standing there.

"Hello Luna," Ginny greeted.

Ginny waved back at Remus and Sirius and entered the Great Hall with Luna.

Remus and Sirius waited until she had disappeared before they left the castle and headed back to Remus' house.

Neither of them spoke the entire time.

As they arrived back at Remus' house, Sirius looked around. He abruptly felt a longing for Harry to be there.

**~~~TB~~~**

The words rang through his head. Harry hesitated. He wouldn't kill Dora. He couldn't.

Harry's eyes scanned the room, searching for some way out of it. They landed on the great snake which was slithering across the room. It was the perfect set up. It was now or never. He had to finish this now.

"I won't," Harry declared, straightening.

"You won't?" Voldemort repeated, his face showing his outrage.

Harry had to clench his teeth at the pain that came from his scar.

"No. I won't. I refuse to kill Dora. She is my family,"

Voldemort glared. "You gave your 'family' away when you joined me!" he hissed.

"No. I never gave them away, and I was never with you. I've been working against you this whole time," Harry said. He shot a cutting hex at Nagini and the snake died as its head was loped off.

"Your horcruxes are gone, Riddle. The diary, the locket, the ring, the diadem, the cup, and the snake. They're all gone," Harry recited.

Voldemort was still, staring at the slaughtered snake.

"You will die for this, Harry Potter," Voldemort murmured, his voice low.

Harry glanced around and saw that he was now surrounded by deatheaters, all of them watching with eager eyes. They were pleased to see Voldemort's favourite so close to death, but their master's own hand. Harry's eyes landed on Dora then. She looked horrified at the situation, but there was nothing she could do.

"So be it," Harry replied. There was no way to fight. He wouldn't survive anyway. Sirius and Remus would have to finish this. He had done his best.

Harry allowed his wand to drop from his hand and clatter to the floor. It rolled away, out of his reach.

Voldemort smirked as he called out the killing words.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Green light shot out of Voldemort's wand and hit Harry in the chest, for the second time. This time, Harry fell to the ground, dead.

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**A/N - Before you hunt me down to give me a very gruesome and merciless death, let me inform you that this story is NOT finished yet. There are still chapters to come. This is NOT the end. Keep reading on, please. **


	43. Despair

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**A/N - I'm so sorry for the long wait. I had no intention of making you wait that long for an update, but life got in the way. I started driver's ed. last week, and it will continue until the end of August, and since that rids me of my morning writing time, I won't get much writing done this month at all. Plus, I had a huge youth activity Friday and Saturday where 1600 teenagers 14-17 gathered together for some fun (One game we played was 'Simon Says'. Just imagine playing that game with 1600 other teenagers! It was great!). Today's been the first day I've been able to write since I last posted. Next weekend I'll be camping, so it's unlikely that I'll get another chapter up until Sunday, again. Sorry for the wait!

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**~~~ Chapter Forty Two ~~~**

Dora cried out as Harry fell. She stared at his body, lying there, definitely dead. All around her, deatheaters were cheering triumphantly, but she tuned it all out.

Harry was gone. He had, she admitted, been her only hope for this war. Now he was gone, and she was surrounded by the enemy.

Tears rolled down her face, and as she looked at Harry, she didn't even notice the spell that came shooting toward her. The green light hit her and she felt the impact, but instead of affecting her, it bounced off and continued back to the man who shot it.

Voldemort was hit by his own Avada Kedavra curse and fell down, dead.

Dora stared in shock. She had just survived the Avada Kedavra. Just like Harry.

She turned to look at the boy, remembering what Dumbledore had told her. Harry had survived because Lily had sacrificed her life for him. Now, Harry must have done the same thing for her.

The room was silent as everyone stared in disbelief at Dora. She looked around the room. They all looked murderous. Would Harry's sacrifice be able to protect her further?

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny stared blankly down at the homework assignment that was meant to be turned in the next morning. It was incomprehensible to her, mostly because she had missed so much school. The teachers were trying to help her catch up, but it just wasn't working, especially when her mind was in a completely different place.

"Miss Weasley," a voice startled her. She looked up and stared. Dumbledore was standing in the doorway of the Gryffindor Common Room. All around her, whispers broke out. The Headmaster rarely, if ever, visited the common rooms.

"Professor," Ginny returned, standing.

Dumbledore gave Ginny a grave look. She hoped that it didn't mean what she thought it meant.

"I need to speak to you immediately," Dumbledore told her.

Ginny followed the headmaster out of the room, ignoring the other Gryffindors, whose voices rose as the portrait closed behind them.

"What is it?" she asked, begging him silently not to tell her bad news.

"We need to go to Sirius and Remus right now," Dumbledore told her.

"Why? It's about Harry, isn't it?" Ginny questioned.

Dumbledore didn't answer her, instead saying, "It is better that I inform you all at once."

Ginny frowned at him, but followed him down the corridor. "We will floo from my office," he informed her.

Ginny didn't reply, not finding a need. Her mind was elsewhere anyway. She was thinking of Harry, hoping and pleading silently that he was okay. She thought of the last time she had seen him, and the conversation they had had just before he had departed. He was very reluctant to go back, and he acted as if he would not see her again. She hoped that she had judged his actions wrongly, but she feared that she was right.

**~~~TB~~~**

Dora stumbled backwards, away from the group of startled deatheaters. She didn't get far before another curse flew toward her. Not really trusting that Harry's protection would again, she made sure to dodge out of the way. The curses came on heavier as she rushed to the closest door. Several hit her, but rebounded without affecting her. It seemed that Harry's protection was still in full effect.

Feeling more confident, Dora started to run outright toward the door, not even bothering to dodge the curses coming her way. She felt many of them hit her, but none of them affected her in the least bit. Dora inwardly marvelled at Harry's power to be able to protect her, even unconsciously as he was, in such a manner.

Dora made it to the door and pulled it open. The curses stopped as soon as she closed the door behind her, and Dora was free to run straight down the hallway with nothing blocking her path. Even in her weakened state, she felt strong enough to make her escape.

As she left the building, Dora looked back. She regretted leaving Harry's body behind, but she feared that if she had taken the time to get it out, then she would not have escaped. They might not have been able to hit her with spells, but she was positive that even Harry's protection wouldn't have prevented them from touching her and trapping her back in her cell.

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny sat on the couch in between Remus and Sirius. Dumbledore paced in front of the trio, his expression troubled.

"What happened?" Sirius demanded.

Dumbledore sighed.

"I have this crystal which shows me the condition of various people. Harry is one of those people. Whatever condition he is in, it shows a different colour in the crystal. Early this morning, that crystal went blank," Dumbledore said.

There was a moment of silence as the three absorbed the information.

"It went blank? What does that mean?" Sirius asked.

Dumbledore closed his eyes. "I do not know, Sirius. It had never happened before. Either, somehow, the spell was taken off of Harry, which is doubtful, as nobody, besides the people in this room know that it is even there, or," Dumbledore paused.

"He's dead?" guessed Remus.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and they took that as their answer.

Ginny let out a low sob of despair and Sirius stared at Dumbledore in horror.

"No! Tell me it isn't true!" Sirius begged.

Just then, the door crashed open. Remus stood abruptly and Dumbledore turned. Sirius and Ginny didn't react, their pain too great for them to care.

"Dora!" Remus cried in astonishment.

"He's dead, dead," Dora whimpered, using the last of her strength. She collapsed onto the floor, unconscious, and Sirius wailed as his fear was confirmed.

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**A/N - Please review!**


	44. Unknowing

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Surprise! I actually got in some writing time this morning and was able to write this chapter. However, don't count on that happening too often.

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**~~~ Chapter Forty Three ~~~**

Sirius stared down at Dora. "You're sure that they're both dead?" he repeated again.

"Sirius! Yes, I'm sure! I saw it," she told him. Remus glared at Sirius. The werewolf was sitting on the edge of Dora's bed, on the opposite side of Sirius, and was holding Dora's hand.

"It's just so unreal. It can't be true," Sirius whispered.

From the chair next to him, Ginny nodded in agreement. She had yet to say anything at all since the announcement of Harry's death had reached her ears.

The group was gathered in the Hogwarts hospital wing, mostly so that they didn't have to face the general public, but also because Dumbledore thought it best that they stay close to the school, where there was more protected.

The deatheaters would no doubt want revenge for their master's death.

Dumbledore entered the hospital wing right then. "Sirius, there is another reporter here. You can't avoid them forever. They are refusing to leave until they get the story," he informed them.

Sirius sighed and rubbed his hand down his face tiredly.

"What if I don't want to talk about Harry's death right now?" he muttered to himself, but obligingly went out to talk. Dumbledore followed him out.

Somehow, the story that both Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort was dead had spread like the press. Those who knew the truth hadn't said a word, which meant that a deatheater must have spoken to someone about it.

Still, they supposed that it wasn't all bad. Harry's name was not being whispered with the words 'murderer' and 'fugitive' anymore. Those words were replaced with words such as 'hero' and 'saviour'. The general public seemed to have changed their vision of him, once again. However, the Ministry hadn't. They were still out for his blood. Until they saw his body, they were still going to believe he was guilty. After all, he did have the Dark Mark branded on his arm, did he not?

The hospital wing doors opened once again, but this time Dumbledore didn't enter, and neither did Sirius return. In the doorway, standing nervously as if she didn't belong, was Hermione.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry groaned slightly as his eyes flickered open. The sky was dark, but Harry could see a few flickers of light. Stars. Harry drew in a deep breath and choked. The air smelled of death. He hoped it wasn't coming from himself.

Harry glanced around quickly. Seeing no one, he sat up and tried to figure out where he was. It looked like a pit, filled with bones and decaying bodies. Harry cringed away from the small body of a little girl. It hit him after a moment what the place must be. He was in Voldemort's dumping grounds, where the deatheaters dumped all the bodies.

Climbing to his feet, Harry warily made his way to the edge of the pit, where there was no recent bodies. He raised a hand up to plug his nose, so he could concentrate a little better. He had to get out of there.

Looking around more fully, he found that the walls of the pit were almost twice as tall as him. He wouldn't be able to climb out. Besides, anyone around might freak out seeing someone climbing out of a burial pit. However, seeing a bird fly out, was nothing new, he was sure.

Harry grinned slightly as he shifted into his animagus form that he had been working on he entirety of the time he had spent with Voldemort. It was his secret weapon now. Nobody knew he could shift into an eagle, and he suspected that nobody even knew he was alive.

Edging away from the wall of the pit, Harry flapped his wings, trying to create a slight updraft. He managed and was lifted up a little.

He hadn't attempted to fly before, but he hoped that it came naturally. He let the mind of the bird do the work, and sure enough, he was off the ground, out of the pit, and soaring through the sky in no time at all.

Though Harry had many worries, they all faded away as he soared through the clouds, wiping away any soreness or tiredness that he may have previously felt. For a long time, he just floated up there, enjoying the relaxing moment. However, life brought him down quickly.

He perched himself on the branch of a large pine tree and thought about what he had to do next. He knew nothing of what had happened after he had died. He figured that Voldemort was still around, and that Dora was probably still in his grasp. He had to remedy that. However, he couldn't and wouldn't do it alone this time.

Harry took off again, this time with a purpose. He was going to find Sirius.

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**A/N - Yes, Harry is actually alive. I was actually planning on killing him off, but since there were so many protests, I changed my mind. No worries, though, I do have some ideas on how to end this with him alive rather than dead, like my original plot line. **


	45. Trouble

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**

**A/N - I have three more days of Driver's Ed, then on Friday, I'm heading over to Western Washington to visit Seattle and Forks and spend a few days on the beach. After I get back on the next Friday, I have three days to prepare, and then school starts. After that, life will become frantic for a few weeks while I get used to the school schedule again. Thus, I will have very little time to write for a while, just to warn you. Luckily, my mom left early and my sister decided to sleep in so I did get some quiet time to write today. As for when the next chapter will come out...I can't say. Hopefully it will be before school starts, but I give no promises.

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**~~~ Chapter Forty Four ~~~**

"Miss Granger," greeted Remus, his mouth turning down into a frown.

Hermione's eyes scanned the room, searching for someone. She looked disappointed to find that whoever she was looking for wasn't there. Instead, her eyes fell on Remus. "Is it true then?" she asked.

Remus suspected that he knew what she was asking, but he had to confirm it. "Is what true?"

Hermione swallowed. "Is Harry…dead?"

Dora looked away from the pair. Remus sighed. "Yes," he murmured.

Ginny let out another sob and fled from the room. Hermione watched her go, sadness filling her eyes.

"I didn't…..I," Hermione couldn't say what she was trying to say and sat down heavily on a nearby chair.

Remus and Dora just watched her, waiting for her to speak.

"He was innocent, wasn't he?" she asked, her voice weak.

Remus nodded. "The entire time," he told her.

Hermione pursed her lips, as if silently berating herself that she could have thought anything different.

"I suspected it, when I met him that time at Hogwarts," Hermione said. "Only, it went against everything that was logical. I just….I wish I could've told him that I believed him before it was too late."

Remus didn't comment, even as tears began to fall down the girl's face.

**~~~TB~~~**

Ginny didn't stop running until she had reached the gates of Hogwarts. Even then, she continued walking, just wanting to get away. She knew that everyone who knew her wouldn't be happy about her leaving the school grounds. Still, she couldn't find it in herself to care.

The village of Hogsmeade was dark, as most of the town was asleep. Ginny realised that it was quite late at night.

Ginny ignored the darkness and kept walking, until she was outside the village. She stopped in one of the meadows that bordered Hogsmeade and found a place to sit on a rock.

She stared at the bleary ground. The grass was mostly dead.

A bird's call, from above, startled Ginny, and she looked up to see a large eagle circling above her. She watched it in surprise, barely able to see it in the darkness.

The bird came closer and Ginny stared at it as it landed nearby. This wasn't normal for a bird, was it?

The bird seemed to stare at her for a few moments, then it began to shift forms. Ginny stood, preparing to run if need be.

She stilled as the bird kept morphing and she recognised the form it changed into.

"Harry?" she asked, unbelieving. She lifted a hand out to him, as if she could touch him.

Harry smiled softly and took a few steps forward, allowing her to touch to face.

"Harry!" she cried, and rushed into his arms. She was enfolded in a hug and she started sobbing again.

"We thought you were dead," she sobbed to him.

Harry frowned, holding her close. "How did you hear?" he asked.

Ginny pulled away from him, but held his hand to keep close.

"Dora told us. Voldemort died after you fell and she escaped and came to us," Ginny informed him.

Harry stared at her, bewildered. "He's dead?"

Ginny frowned, taking in his absent expression. "What's wrong?" she questioned.

Harry's eyes focused on her, and he smiled again. "Nothing. I just...wasn't expecting him to be dead. He's gone though. I don't ever have to worry about him again," Harry said excitedly.

Ginny smiled at him. "You're safe," she murmured.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry and Ginny walked hand in hand through Hogsmeade, heading back up to the castle. They figured that Sirius, Remus, and Dora all deserved to know that he was still alive and kicking.

Their path was blocked however, by the sudden appearance of a man, holding his wand pointed straight at Harry's heart. "Put your hands up, Potter. You are under arrest!" the man declared.

As he said it, other men came out from surrounding buildings, all dressed in the same dark blue robes. Ginny recognised the Auror symbol embroidered on them.

"You can't arrest him," Ginny protested. "He's innocent!"

"Stay out of this, Miss Weasley," another Auror stated.

Harry let go of Ginny's hand and raised his hands into the air, letting the Aurors know he wasn't going to attempt to fight them.

"Go find Sirius and the others, Ginny," Harry murmured to her. "They'll be able to help."

"No, wait!" Ginny fought as a pair of Aurors came forward and started to handcuff Harry's arms behind his back.

Another Auror grabbed her arm and held her back so she couldn't rush forward to help Harry.

"Go," Harry urged, his eyes only on Ginny.

Ginny wrenched her arm from the Auror's grasp and rushed back towards Hogwarts. Nobody tried to stop her, but Harry's eyes followed her all the way out of sight.

"Let's go, Potter. Nice and easy," an Auror murmured, leading Harry forward to an apparation point.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius had just returned to the hospital wing and was taking a seat next to Remus when Ginny burst into the room.

"He's been arrested!" she cried.

"Ginny? What?" Remus asked, standing.

Hermione looked up from where she was sitting and Sirius raised an eyebrow at the frantic girl.

"Harry! They arrested Harry!" Ginny explained.

"Ginny...Harry's not," Sirius started, although his heart ached to say it. He was glad to be interrupted.

"No. Harry's alive! I ran into him in Hogsmeade. He came out of the sky as a bird! When we were walking back here, Aurors surrounded us and arrested him," Ginny clarified herself.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance.

"He's alive," Ginny murmured again, willing them to believe her.

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**A/N - Please review.**


	46. Detained

**Disclaimer:** Not Mine.

**The Brotherhood**

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**A/N - I had some time, while sitting in the library, to write and so I managed to get another chapter done. It isn't really that great, and there's very little dialog. Mostly, it's just a filler chapter. The next chapter will progress the story further.**

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**~~~ Chapter Forty Five ~~~**

Harry stared at the wall of the cell he had been placed in. He was having flashbacks to the day he had been arrested the first time. Neither time he had been expecting it, but this time, he should have. He had forgotten that he was still a fugitive. At least, he mused, they hadn't given him the Dementor's kiss right away. At the moment, he still had a chance to somehow get out of this.

He looked up at the sound of footsteps, but they passed by his cell. Evidently, there were people patrolling the hallway of cells.

Harry turned his thoughts away from the grim thought of what they might do and him and concentrated on those he had left behind. Ginny, for one. She had thought he was dead, as did Sirius, Remus, and Dora. He had sent her to tell them of his arrest, but would they even believe her? Might they think that she was simply imagining things? If they didn't know, who could do anything about it?

Harry scowled at the thought of the crime he had committed. He hadn't made much of an effort to figure out who it had been who had framed him in the first place, and now, he was kicking himself for it. If only he knew, he could tell the aurors under Veritiserum. Now, all he could say was that he was innocent, and why would they ask him to say that under a truth potion? His situation seemed a little hopeless, and Harry found himself asking why everything had turned out the way it had.

Voldemort was, according to Ginny's reports, dead. He was finally free from being attacked from the man who had caused him so much pain. He hadn't even had time to celebrate that death before he was captured again, this time by someone who could almost be considered worse.

The Ministry would either sentence him to a Dementor's Kiss, which was quite likely, or put him back in Azkaban. Harry dreaded both, but found that he almost wanted the Dementor's Kiss. Just let him die and get it over with. At least he would be back with his parents.

**~~~TB~~~**

Sirius didn't know what to believe. First Dora had said Harry was dead, then Ginny comes in and says he is alive, but in Ministry custody. Sirius was obviously hoping that the latter was right. If Harry was at the Ministry, there was a hope of getting him back, especially with Dumbledore on his side. Dumbledore would at least push for Harry to get the trial that he had been deprived of in the first place, and with any luck, he might be able to have his name cleared.

Thus, Sirius found himself standing at the door of Dumbledore's office, waiting for the man to open the door and let him in. It only took a few moments, and the door swung open, revealing Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, a large tome open in front of him.

"Ah, Sirius. How can I help you?" Dumbledore asked, closing the tome and giving Sirius his whole attention.

Sirius sighed and took a seat across from the Headmaster. "Ginny just came back from Hogsmeade, and she reported that she met Harry there, but he was arrested by the Ministry before he could come up here to us," he reported, his voice low.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed. "She is positive that it was him?"

Sirius shook his head. "I don't know. She said that he came down from the sky as an eagle and turned into him. She thinks that he taught himself to be an animagus while with Voldemort."

"If we had known he was an animagus, then we would know for sure that it was him. As it is, it could have been someone impersonating him," Dumbledore mused.

"But what if it was him? He's been taken to the Ministry! What if they send him back to Azkaban, or…or," Sirius couldn't say it. He couldn't bear the thought that Harry might be executed in such a way, especially since Sirius had already thought he had died once.

Dumbledore didn't answer, only looked at Sirius thoughtfully.

"I will go down to the Ministry and do some investigating, I think," he finally said.

"Please save him, Albus. Please," Sirius begged.

**~~~TB~~**

Ginny sat, curled up on a seat in the hospital wing. Dora was now asleep, and Remus was dozing in a chair beside her. The Hospital Wing was almost eerily quiet and Ginny couldn't help but wonder what was happening to Harry.

She hoped, due to his not struggling when they arrested him, they went easy on him, but she doubted it. He was a murderer, in their eyes, and even more so now, since he had been found out to be a deatheater. It didn't even help him that Voldemort was dead, since there was no real proof, just rumours.

Still, Sirius had gone to the Ministry, with Dumbledore, to help him, and Ginny knew that if anyone would be able to get him out of everything, it would be that pair of men.

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**A/N - Please review...Oh, and about the title of this chapter, I couldn't think of a chapter name and so I asked my sister to read it and give me an idea. Instead, she told me to call it 'The Chapter of Doom!' and so I did. If you have any ideas what to call it, you can let me know and I'll change it, but for now, it is called 'The Chapter of Doom!'. **


	47. Trial

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - I spent most of yesterday in Forks. It was just as described in the book - cold, wet, and boring. Yeah...but all the Twilight propaganda did inspire me to do some writing, so I wrote this chapter on the way back to my hotel room. Today, I started a Writing Marathon on The Muse Bunny, and so I'll be working on that for a while instead of this story, however, it won't last too long.

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**~~~ Chapter Forty Six ~~~**

Harry followed along after the auror with very little struggling, mostly because he was heavily chained and could barely walk. However, it was also because he had been told he was attending his trial. He didn't know how Dumbledore had managed to get him a trial, but it had happened, and he was glad. With a trial, perhaps the truth would come out that he was actually innocent, and just maybe, they would let him free.

The auror jolted him to a sudden stop and Harry looked up. They were outside the trial room. There were very few people standing outside the room, but they were all staring. Harry bowed his head again to avoid their stares.

The doors were opened and Harry was led into the room where the trial would take place. He could feel many people watching him as he was taken in and chained down to the stone chair in the centre of the room.

As soon as the auror had moved away, Harry looked up from under his lashes and scanned the room. He soon found who he was looking for, near the back of the crowd. Sirius and Remus both sat there, and they both looked upset, probably at his condition. Harry was very aware that he looked a mess.

Just seeing the familiar and friendly faces after so long soothed Harry's nerves and he looked up at where Fudge was sitting. The Minister scowled down at him, then looked sideways at the woman sitting beside him. She nodded in answer to his unasked question.

"Let's get started. Due to popular request, we are having a trial for Harry James Potter, age sixteen," Fudge started, then turned to the scribe, a squat man with a flat face. "Read the charges."

Harry winced as a long list was read, starting with the murder of Ronald Weasley and continuing through many crimes which he had committed as a deatheater. There was no getting out of those.

"Okay, what do you plead?" Fudge asked Harry.

Harry didn't know how to respond. He had, of course, committed some of those crimes, and he couldn't deny it, but he hadn't committed all of them. He decided on a partially truthful answer.

"Guilty,"

Fudge sent an irritated look at someone behind Harry. Harry glanced and saw Dumbledore standing there, looking pensive.

"He pleads guilty, Dumbledore. Why is this even necessary?"

Dumbledore set his piercing eyes on Fudge and replied, "I believe this trial is very necessary, and you will continue."

Fudge's glare buckled under Dumbledore's and he bowed his head.

"Very well. What do you wish to cover, then?"

"Let's start with the first crime, shall we?" Dumbledore suggested, then paced forward. "The murder of Ronald Weasley. This was, I believe, his original crime, was it not?"

Nobody contradicted him and Dumbledore nodded contentedly.

"To testify, I call to the stand Ginny Weasley,"

The side door opened and Harry stared at Ginny as she came in. She looked pale and rather tired, but she managed to give Harry a small reassuring smile. He didn't really gain any reassurance from it. He knew that her testimony could clearly give everyone the proof they needed, but it could also go the wrong way. If she was asked certain questions, harmful truths could come out about how helpful she had been for Harry and Sirius.

"She's underage, we can't give her veritaserum without parental permission. How do we know she is being truthful?" the woman asked.

Dumbledore nodded at the woman. "This note is not counterfeit, I can assure you. It was written by her father, Arthur Weasley. He is still in his office, if you wish to call him down and ask him," Dumbledore said as he deposited a note on the stand in front of her.

The woman scanned the note. "What does it say, Amelia?" Fudge asked, although he looked like he knew.

"She is to be given veritaserum," Amelia answered.

Fudge nodded and waved toward an auror. The auror stepped forward, pulling out a bottle of clear white liquid. Ginny allowed three drops of veritaserum to be put on her tongue and swallowed with a grimace before her face settled into a noncommittal expression.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked.

"Ginerva Molly Weasley,"

"What are your parents' names?" Dumbledore continued.

"Molly Prewitt Weasley and Arthur Weasley,"

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen years old,"

Having completed the three test questions and required the truthful answers, Dumbledore nodded and looked at Fudge as if to ask permission.

Fudge nodded with pursed lips. He didn't look happy about having Ginny on the stand, Harry noticed.

Dumbledore turned back to Ginny. "What happened the night your brother, Ronald Weasley, died?"

There was a short silence, then Ginny opened her mouth and began to explain in a soft voice.

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**A/N - Please review.**


	48. Revealed

**Disclaimer: (Insert witty disclaimer here.)**

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N – This is the point where I give some long excuse as to why this is so late, like: I just started school again and my French class is impossible, and my History teacher assigned too much homework, and I've been busy with family junk, and all the other excuses that someone might use, but the truth is, I've just been lazy. Seriously, I spent over three hours yesterday building a tower out of those plastic tag thingies that come on store-bought bread (I collect them, because I'm weird like that) simply because I could! I even worked on some other stories, and not just a little bit. I wrote several chapters of them. So yell at me for being lazy about this fanfic if you want, but read the chapter first, because you've probably been anticipating it.

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******~~~ Chapter Forty Seven ~~~**

"It was a Hogsmeade weekend," Ginny started, her voice strong, for the moment. "I was walking down to the village with Harry, Hermione Granger, and my brother, Ron. It was a relief to get out of the school and get some fresh air, and we were all in a giddy mood.

"We visited several shops, as was usual, but then Harry and Ron decided they wanted to go into the Quidditch shop. Hermione didn't want to visit it, and so went across the street to the bookshop.

"I went into the quidditch shop with the boys and we spent probably ten minutes in there before I dragged them out. As we left the store, we decided to go wait at a nearby bench for Hermione. Going to the bench involved passing an alley between the Quidditch shop and the store next to it.

"As I arrived at the bench, I noticed that Harry was missing. Ron and I went looking for him, first in the Quidditch shop, we thought he may have gone back in there, and then into the alley between the two shops.

"As we turned the corner and came to the space behind the Quidditch shop, we saw a horrible sight. Harry was on the ground, unconscious. Standing above him were two men, in deatheater masks. One of them had a glass of Polyjuice in his hand, and he was drinking it."

"You know what Polyjuice potion looks like?" Amelia asked.

Ginny paused. "No, but Ron did, because he whispered what it was and I heard,"

Harry, listening to the story, was suddenly glad that Hermione wasn't around to tell just why Ron knew about Polyjuice Potion. Surely brewing Polyjuice Potion in the girl's bathroom in his second year would count as just another law he broke. He really didn't need anything else piled onto his list.

"Anyway," Ginny continued, "The man holding the glass of Polyjuice Potion took off his mask, and I could see that he had transformed into Harry. I gasped and both men looked up.

"The one that didn't look like Harry raised his wand and blasted both of us backwards. I must had hit the wall, because my memory goes out there, and I can't remember further," Ginny ended.

The room was silent for a few moments as everyone contemplated the story. Surely, it had to be the truth. It had been told under veritaserum, after all.

"Is that what happened?" Amelia asked Harry.

He looked up at her. "As far as I know. The last thing I remember was starting to walk over to the bench, then everything went black," he answered.

Harry glanced over at Ginny, and for a moment, their eyes met. The veritaserum was wearing off and Harry could see a layer of emotion in her eyes.

"Does that prove his innocence to you?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Fudge politely.

"Now just wait a minute, Dumbledore," Fudge protested. "Potter arrested and taken in just shortly after he murdered Weasley. The potion would have worn off after an hour, and then we would have known it wasn't Potter."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Unless, they were swapped without anyone realising. Which means," he paused, then looked up at a member of the watching crowd, "There must have been someone in the Ministry that day in on it."

Harry looked where Dumbledore was and saw Lucius Malfoy sitting there, glaring at Dumbledore.

"I do recall you were one of the few people who visited Harry while in was in that waiting cell," Dumbledore said, still watching Lucius intently.

Harry too watched Lucius. He had been able to get to know the older Malfoy fairly well over his time in the deatheater ranks, and he knew, by the almost hidden expression on the man's face, that he was clearly guilty.

"It is true, I did visit Potter, but I had nothing to do with the crime, or the men that did it. I do not associate with that crowd," Lucius said.

A snort of disbelief came through the crowd, and everyone's eyes turned to see that it was Sirius who had done it.

"Do you have something to add, Mr. Black?" Amelia asked.

Harry nearly smiled as he saw Remus impatiently elbow his friend in the stomach, and Sirius return an irritated look before answering, "No."

"What do you remember, after everything went black, Harry," Dumbledore asked Harry suddenly.

Harry had to think back. It had been so long before, and he had gone through so much since then. "I don't remember much. It is very hazy. Nothing was very clear until I actually woke up again, in that waiting cell," he murmured, biting his lip in thought.

"It was hazy, but you remember something don't you?" Dumbledore asked, probing.

Harry closed his eyes and the memory came back. "Yes. I remember walking through the ministry, except people couldn't see me, and I was fighting against it. I think it must have been the imperious curse, now that I think on it. I wasn't familiar with that curse then," Harry said, then stopped abruptly. He had just as good as admitted that he had used the imperious curse.

"He was taken into the Ministry, by someone," here Dumbledore gave Lucius a look as he spoke, "and switched with the man who really committed the crime, who was under the Polyjuice Potion.

"I think the real question here is, why did the man want to frame Harry? He wasn't expecting Mr. Weasley and his sister to walk around the corner, and that is the only thing he did before he was arrested," Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

There was silence in the room again and Harry felt a headache starting. He had a feeling this was going to be a long trial.

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**A/N - Hopefully, the next chapter won't take so long to be written and posted. **


	49. Conviction

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter settings, characters, and magic do not belong to me. I'm just using them for now.

**The Brotherhood**

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**A/N - Guess what? When I wrote the last chapter, I went all out and wrote until I finished the story, and so now I actually know how long it'll be until it's complete. There's this chapter, then the next, and then an Epilogue. Yes, this story is very nearly done. **

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**~~~ Chapter Forty Eight ~~~**

Harry rubbed his forehead tiredly, wishing the headache that had been accumulating over the day to just go away. It didn't work, not that he really expected it to.

The door that led to the room where the row of waiting cells he was in opened and then closed. Harry heard footsteps, two pairs of them, come into the room. When they were in front of his cell, he looked up.

Sirius and Remus both stood there, looking down at him.

Harry clumsily climbed to his feet. "Have they decided yet?" he asked.

Sirius shook his head gloomily. After the long trial, mostly consisting of discussing Harry's first crime, was over, he had been brought back here while they deliberated over what the verdict would be.

"They're pretty sure you're innocent of the initial crime," Remus reported, "And they're upset at Fudge at not giving you a trial. However, you were a deatheater, even just to get to Voldemort, and that concerns them a great deal."

"Just before we left, Dumbledore was reminding them that you had stopped Voldemort," Sirius stated.

"Oh," Harry said.

There was a small silence before Sirius broke it. "We brought you some food," he announced, then pulled a bag of what looked like muggle fast food out from behind his back.

Harry accepted the bag and pulled it through the bars of his cell. "McDonald's? I didn't really know you were into muggle restaurants,"

"I worked there for a time," Remus said, grimacing slightly. "Plus, it was nearly across the street and we didn't exactly have time to get a home cooked meal."

Food was food, however, and Harry's stomach was empty, so he dug in with gusto, moving back to sit on the bunk as he did so. Remus and Sirius just watched him.

"When's the last time you ate?" Sirius asked, noticing the fast pace at which Harry practically inhaled the food.

Harry paused and thought back. "Um…I think before the whole thing with Dora escaping and Voldemort nearly killing me," he answered.

"Two days ago?" Remus responded, looking concerned. Harry merely shrugged.

"Black, Lupin! They want you back in there. Break is over," an auror said, standing in the doorway.

"We'll see you later," Sirius muttered, and Harry nodded goodbye, his mouth full. The two men left and Harry finished his meal before sitting back in his cell.

**~~~TB~~~**

Harry trudged back into the room where his trial had taken place, the usual chains around his wrist. He was set in the chair again and looked up at where Fudge was sitting.

Harry's eyes widened slightly at Fudge's expression. He looked incredibly smug.

Harry looked around the room looking for some hint as to why Fudge looked that way. Instead, he noticed that Sirius and Remus were missing, along with Ginny. Harry also noticed that Dumbledore was no where to be seen. Where were they?

"Harry James Potter," Fudge started. "We have found your innocent of the original crime of murdering one Ronald Weasley. Your life sentence in Azkaban for that crime has been lifted."

'What life sentence? I never got a trial,' Harry thought, trying to figure out what was going through Fudge's mind.

"However, the other crimes on the list are numerous. We find you guilty of all crimes," Fudge stated.

Harry sank down into his chair. Guilty. That meant either Azkaban or the Dementor's Kiss, for sure.

Amelia took over. "The downfall of You-Know-You was mostly due to you. Because of this, we lessened the sentence. We have decided to,"

Fudge interrupted her, seemingly wanting to be the one to give the final sentence.

"Your sentence is five life sentences in Azkaban, as

A/you are underage. If you had been older, than the Dementor's Kiss would have been your fate," Fudge looked positively delighted as he gave that sentence.

Harry immediately wished he had not eaten so fast earlier. He felt nauseous at the thought of going to Azkaban again. This time, he wouldn't even have Sirius with him.

"No. No, please," Harry begged softly, peering up at the group of people sitting in front of him. "Don't make me go back there. Please!"

They paid him no attention. Two aurors took him by the arms and led him out of the room, Harry struggling. Where were Sirius and Remus? Why weren't they stopping this?

The waiting cell that Harry was pushed into was different this time. It was in a higher place in the Ministry, near the apparation room that the aurors used. "You'll be leaving in the morning," one auror informed him, while unlocking the chains from his wrists.

Harry fell to his knees as the cell door closed. His head dropped into his hands. He knew that he wouldn't be able to survive the dementors for very long.

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**A/N - Review, please. **


	50. Azkaban

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - Last chapter except the Epilogue.

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**~~~ Chapter Forty Nine ~~~**

Harry knew what was coming very soon. He had gone through this all before and although it was so long ago, he still remembered it clearly. It was a day that changed his life, after all. The aurors would come and take him to the apparation room, then apparate him to a small building on the beach. Once there, they would take him to a boat, and chain him to it, which they said was so the prisoners wouldn't throw themselves overboard. Harry knew he might have done so the first time he had ridden in that boat, had he not been securely chained. When they arrived at the island where Azkaban Prison stood, he would be checked in, given a prisoner's robe, and then taken to a cell. He would be left alone, but it wouldn't be long before the dementors came.

Harry's eyes were closed tightly at the moment, trying to tune out those thoughts, but it wasn't working. His mind kept wandering back to Azkaban, and for a fair reason. Wouldn't you think about the place that you'd be spending the rest of what would be a miserable life, too?

It was morning, that much Harry could tell from his place in this cell. The bustling around the building was starting up again after it had died down when night had fallen. He only knew this because he had been up all night, unable to sleep.

Also on his thoughts was Sirius. He had figured that the only reason that his Godfather hadn't come to him yet was that he was being restrained. He knew, or at least he thought he did, that Sirius wouldn't allow him to go back to Azkaban. He wondered whether that was the Ministry's doing, or someone else's. He wouldn't be surprised if Remus had made sure that Sirius wasn't there to try anything stupid when they sentenced him. However, Harry just wanted to see his Godfather one last time before...

"Potter," a gruff voice came from outside the cell.

Harry opened his eyes to see an auror standing there, giving Harry a look that clearly said, 'you deserve this'. Another auror, who was looking more sympathetically at Harry, was standing behind the first.

Harry stood up warily as the first auror opened the cell. He allowed them to put the cuffs on his wrists, and then to be lead out of his cell and down the hall. What was there left to fight for? He would always be a criminal. Even if he escaped, somehow, he would have to stay in hiding for the rest of his life. What was the point anymore?

Harry's grim thoughts continued as he was apparated to the beach where the boat was waiting.

Harry thought back to the reason Sirius and him had broken out of Azkaban in the beginning. Hadn't the reason been to prove their innocence? Sirius' had been proven with the discovery of Peter Pettigrew. Harry had made sure that the rat was convicted and Sirius was proclaimed innocent. Harry had received a trial, finally, and had been also found innocent of the original crime he had been convicted of. Their reason for breaking out was completed.

Although he was going back to Azkaban, his imprisonment was, at least, this time justified. Harry almost thought this was worse. No longer would he have the thought of his innocence to ward out the horrid feelings.

Harry was unpleasantly bumped out of his thoughts when he heard the cell door closing behind him. He realised that he had gone through everything mindlessly. He settled onto the bunk behind him and wrapped the dirty and ripped blanket that he found there around them. He found himself not really caring that the blanket had bloodstains on it.

As he sat, Harry's eyes fell on the cell across from him, seeking for the grey eyes that so often he had seen when Padfoot, in dog form, had laid under the bunk. He didn't find them. Instead, the cell was occupied with someone else. It had a sleeping prisoner in it, one that looked as if he had been there a long time. Harry almost wished that it was Sirius, but then shook his head. He wouldn't wish Sirius to be back in here. No, Sirius didn't deserve this.

Harry felt coldness seep through his clothes and skin, despite the scanty blanket and he knew the dementors were coming. He sank deeper back into his cell, although he knew it would make no difference. He would feel it just as much if he were standing right next to the bars of the cell.

As the dementors came closer, faces began flashing before Harry's eyes. The faces of those he had killed, he realised with a sick feeling. He closed his eyes, wishing they were go away. It only got worse. Soon, he heard their screams. Next came their awful pleadings and cries.

When the dementors were right outside his cell, the strain was too much, and Harry fell into unconsciousness.

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**A/N - I know that you're probably not happy with this ending, but I am planning a sequel where it continues, and the star can't stay in Azkaban long. I don't know when the sequel will be up, but keep an eye out for it, and continue on to the next chapter for the Epilogue.**


	51. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **For the last time, this is not mine.

**The Brotherhood

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**A/N - And thus ends the story.

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**~~~ EPILOGUE ~~~**

Sirius walked through the halls of the prison that he had once spent many years of his life in. As it was, he hadn't been there in a year, yet he had been trying to get in every day for the past five months, ironically enough. Finally, the Ministry had given in and allowed him permission to go to the prison and meet with his Godson, but only for a five minutes meeting.

"Here we are," the auror escorting him said. Sirius looked up and saw Harry lying on the cell, seemingly asleep. The sight of him reminded Sirius of the days that they had spent together in cells across from each other, with slight differences. Before, Harry had only spent three months in prison before he was able to escape. Now, though, he had been in prison for five months, and that was without Sirius to distract him from the dark thoughts that unwillingly crept into the mind of every prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry jerked awake suddenly and his green eyes flew open as he gasped. Sirius watched Harry as his eyes flickered around the cell before landing on Sirius.

"Sirius?" Harry whispered, his eyes widening.

Sirius watched as Harry stood up and stumbled over to the bars, as if trying to determine if Sirius was a hallucination or not.

"Harry," Sirius murmured.

Harry stared at Sirius for a long moment, then suddenly, his eyes filled with tears. "Why? Why did you leave me? Sirius, you were supposed to protect me! You were supposed to save me," Harry cried.

"I'm sorry," Sirius replied, though he doubted Harry could hear it, his voice was so choked up.

"You were supposed to save me," Harry whispered once again, then sank to the ground, sobbing.

"He's completely lost his mind. It happened faster than usual because he's so young," the auror remarked, looking sideways at Sirius.

Sirius turned and scowled at the auror. The auror seemed unfazed. "Your time is up, by the way."

Sirius glanced one more time at the boy in the cell. "Don't worry, Harry. I got you out once, I'll do it again. This time for good," he whispered so the auror couldn't hear him, then turned and stalked away.

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**A/N - Okay, so that's finally the end. Before I leave off, I have to thank several people. **

**The French Dark Lord**

**Roxanne**

**Luiz4200**

**Serpent91**

**DracoMalfoy4Ever**

**DukeBrymin**

**These were the people who reviewed the most consistently throughout the story, usually giving me encouragment and input on the chapters. Thanks a bunch to you six.**

**Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed over the course of the story. Every little bit helps.**

**I hope to see your reviews at the sequel, whenever it may be put up.**

**~MBW**


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